I’m not a runner, and I don’t play one on TV. But my wife is training for the New York City Marathon and I’ve been joining her on the long weekend runs. (Just send that “Husband of the Year” trophy to my home address, thanks very much.)

As much as I don’t enjoy dragging my creaky old-man bones out of bed at 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings, there’s a calm, peaceful rhythm to life that you can’t get any other time of the week. The streets are deserted, the sun’s coming up, the air is cooler… it’s a great way to unplug and recharge at the same time. When I was younger I was more concerned with Saturday night activities than Sunday morning ones, but now I know why old folks like to get up early.

My wife runs with a running group, and this morning we met in Newport, KY, just across the river from downtown Cincinnati, then ran across a bridge and along the Cincinnati riverfront. I like to distract myself from the slog of the run by checking out the scenery, the barges on the river, the architecture of the homes, the small mom-and-pop shops and tiny taverns you see along the way and probably never would notice if you were zooming by in a car.

 

 

Now if only I could figure out how to turn my running shoes into a hoverboard…