I started running a while back, partly just to get some more exercise and partly because it’s been a chance to enjoy our unusually fine summer in Scotland this year.

One of the many things that make Edinburgh such a pleasant city to live in is its predominance of parks, hills and general greenery. You’re never far away from a little haven of nature in Edinburgh and some of it is right in the middle of town. It can quite a surprise for visiting tourists (of which there are many right now) to turn a corner in a normal city street and be faced with a dirty great mountain slap bang in the middle of the city.

With scenery as rich as this it’s a shame to waste it when the sun shines, so in a bid to make the most of it I bought a new pair of running shoes and hit the streets.

I also find running an incredibly therapeutic activity. It’s a well know fact that any exercise will release pleasure educing endorphins into the body, but I’ve found running to be an extremely useful way of clearing my mind of distractions and focusing on problems that need to be solved. I think it’s the combination of physical exertion, time alone and the great outdoors, but I find it gives me more perspective on life, and the ability to not worry about things so much.

Sometimes, this even includes thinking about a particular design or website layout I’m working on, and I’ve even found that some of my most productive “design time” has been spent sweating profusely half way up a hill. Just goes to show, that inspiration often comes when you remove yourself from a normal routine environment.

In case any Edinburgers (that’s people from Edinburgh) are interested, here’s my current route:

Starting off at my house, I’m off along the Meadows, through Newington and then onto Arthurs Seat, which I’ll go round once and stop back at St Leonards entrance.

Total Distance ~ 5 Miles / 8 Km
Time ~ 40 Mins

I’ll try and do this 3 times a week.