The Joy of Nooks: Running to Find Cosy Spots
By their very nature, nooks are tucked away. Cosy corners and crevices. Hole-in-the-wall coffee hatches, cabins and tree houses, reading snugs and higgledy-piggledy alleyways. Medieval homes and once-upon-a-time outposts. Moody and mysterious, enticing and intimate, it’s when the world is in silence that the nooks come out to play. A sub plot to normal city […]
The Joy of Running Goals: What Inspires You?
We all like something to work towards, running included. Sometimes they’re hard goals, like finishing a parkrun or marathon. More often, it’s softer running goals, like getting out more in exchange for more joyful miles and wider smiles. Although Joy Runs runs on weekly cycles and is a no pressure running club, it’s useful to […]
The Joy of Running: 7 Tips for Running Happy
Running is undergoing a renaissance. There’s a run club on every corner and parkrun numbers have never been greater. However, with modern running culture obsessed with PBs and ultra distances, it’s easy to forget why you got into running in the first place. In this article, we’ll explore the joy of running at its core. […]
The Joy of Leaves: Colorful Running in Fall
There’s a lot to love about running in fall. Bursting with visceral stimulation, it exposes you to ever-changing landscapes, smells and nature’s fun obstacles. Leaves providing on all three fronts. Running in fall also reminds me about the type of life I want to live. Watching summer drift away we’re well within our rights to […]
The Joy of Light: Running to Towards the Light
All light is connection. Illuminating objects and landscapes in new ways. Casting a spell on the ordinary. Bringing you closer to your surroundings on a run. Light, like life, is also ever-shifting. Changing by the hour. It flows majestically over surfaces, causing them to flicker or glow in the sun’s beams. Then it’s dialled down, […]
The Joy of Berries: Add Colour to Your Runs
Berries radiate joy. A burst of colour poking through a hedgerow, twitching in the wind. Their shades of red, blue and violet, dancing in the sun. This week’s Joy Run is an invitation to swap grey pavements for the trails. To rewild your runs and re-engage and delight in the natural world. Berries may seem […]
The Joy of Reflections: Mirror Images on Runs
When life gives you rain, choose reflections. It’s another week wet, so let’s find the positives and fill our runs with awe. We’ve already run near water as a symbol of life and guidance. Reflections is its spiritual sister. Enticing your eye into the image to mind-bending or romantic effect. Reflections in water can also […]
The Joy of Faces: ‘Facial Pareidolia’
When on the move, we’re constantly scanning our surroundings for faces. It could be real people or face-like entities, such as seeing a smiley face in random objects. The fancy name for this phenomenon is ‘Facial Pareidolia’. We detect faces incredibly fast, meaning anytime we see a pattern vaguely resembling two eyes, a nose and […]
The Joy of Landmarks: A Spot of Running Tourism
Running tourism is about exploring a new city or your hometown on the move. There’s no better way to get around and get to know somewhere. I mean really get under its skin, like a local. Treating the streets as a theme park, running tourism helps you to playfully tick off a record number of […]
The Joy of Running Together: Double the Fun
Let’s double the joy and make the world a little less lonely by running together. As many as one in four people worldwide – or 1 billion people – are lonely. Taking the first step to cure this crisis in connection can often be the hardest. A run shared can be a wonderful tonic to […]