I'm in West Virgina to keynote a conference in the morning. When I arrived today, the sun was still high enough in the sky that I could get a nice run in. And, there's no better way to explore a new city than by running through its downtown and along its riverbanks.
I left the hotel at the same time as another runner. We mutually nodded to one another, giving approval to each other's desire to end the day sweating. He headed west; I went east.
As I was making my way back, so was he. As we stood outside of the hotel stretching, I asked him what route he took. He told me he ran a short route over to the capitol and back a few times. He did a few laps and stayed close to where he was, in other words.
And me? I hit the sidewalk and ran until I felt like making a left. Then, I turned up another street, passing the courthouse, some really old buildings, running under a few bridges and then I ended up on a nice greenway, watching the people play with their dogs, walk hand-in-hand, ride bikes and skateboard.
The temperature and the breeze and the sun and the water were perfect. Charleston seems to be one of the best cities for urban running, and one of the best places to run near the water.
I had no plan and wanted to see what I could find. I came back not only having a great run, but also having taken in a lot of this fair city.
Whenever we're willing to dream beyond the boundaries, we'll be surprised what we can gain. When we're willing to challenge the status quo and question our own limitations, we'll grow like never before.
Tomorrow morning, I'll be challenging people to embrace social media as a tool for creating new advocates. Some people in attendance may have a limited view of what's possible with online communications. Here's to hoping they'll be willing to run out past the edges in order to have a experience that's meaningful for them.
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