Running: Happiness in every stride

Ok, hear us out.

We know athletics can have a reputation as a PE class punishment or the thing you do when you’re late for a bus. But there’s also a whole world of joy, clarity and community waiting just beyond that first kilometre.

Yes, it’s great for your body, strengthening your heart, lungs and muscles, but as with many sports above, the real magic is in what it does for your mind. Studies show running can ease anxiety, sharpen focus and lift your mood.

There’s the rush of endorphins that leaves you proud post-run. The peace of a solo jog after work, letting the day melt off your shoulders one footfall at a time. And the finish lines (real or metaphorical) that remind you how far you’ve come in a sport that asks only that you begin.

You don’t need to be the next Noah Lyles. You don’t need to sprint like Julien Alfred or clock marathon splits like Eliud Kipchoge. In fact, you don’t need to race at all. As distance runner John Bingham wrote in The Courage to Start, “If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far… You just run.”

There’s something beautifully simple about it. Running doesn’t care what shoes you wear, how fast you go, or how long you’ve been doing it. It just asks you to move.

And chances are, you will enjoy it.

Kara Goucher, a two-time Olympian, said it best: “Running allows me to set my mind free. Nothing seems impossible. Nothing unattainable.” Or take it from Mo Farah, one of the greatest distance runners of all time: “I need it as much for my head as I do for my body.”

And here’s a bonus: running doesn’t have to be lonely. From early morning parkruns to massive marathon festivals, the running community is warm, welcoming, and wonderfully weird. These days, run clubs are popping up everywhere, gathering people of all paces and playlists to join the movement.

But it’s also there when you need solitude, when you want to lace up, zone out, and listen to your breath and the steady beat of your feet on trail or pavement.

Whether you’re sprinting down a track, jogging through the woods, or taking your first ever walk-run around the block, know this: you’re in the club.

Besides, if cross-country skiing can be fun (and it is), then running can be too. Especially when it’s less about the destination and more about the joy of moving forward: slow, steady and free.

So if you want to channel the energy of Paris 2024, try organising your own mini Olympics with friends. Sadly, your medals may not feature Eiffel Tower fragments, but the memories will be just as golden.

What did you do last Saturday?

One Rye resident spent the early morning swimming the ten kilometers (6.21 miles) across Long Island Sound from Morgan Park in Glen Cove, Long Island to the Larchmont Shore Club in support of Swim Across America’s mission to fight cancer. One of eleven elite open water master swimmers (four women and seven men), Adam Coe, age 45, of Rye, made the swim. It was his second time doing a 10K and third time participating in Swim Across America. Coe swam as part of the Next Level Private team run by Barry Mitchell of Harrison.

“I’m probably the one of, if not the least experienced out of the crew [that swam Saturday],” Coe told MyRye.com, who raised $5,000 to support the swim.

You do this for fun, and to be able to take a passion project and have it be for a good cause is just a neat thing that we all like to do.”

Coe grew up in the Midwest and Texas, and played water polo for Texas A&M. He moved to Manhattan in 2007 and then when he moved to Rye in 2022 with his wife and two kids, Coe fell in with Westchester Masters, an open water swimming group. Members of the group have swam around Manhattan and swam across the English Channel. Wherever there is water locally, Coe swims – the Rye YMCA, the Greenwich Y, Oakland Beach, Playland Beach, Coveleigh Club, Manursing Island Club and Rye Golf.

“I swim all over Rye. Any place that is wet in Rye I probably swam there,” said Coe.

Next up for Coe is a swim around Manhattan – his first. The swim will raise money for Family Reach, another nonprofit supporting those facing cancer (you can support Coe’s Manhattan swim fundraiser).

UC San Diego Men’s Water Polo season tickets for 2025 are now available, offering fans a chance to catch all the action in the Tritons’ third year as Big West members. The home schedule kicks off with the Triton Invitational from August 29-31 and includes key matchups against ranked teams like Stanford and Long Beach State. Ticket prices are $50 for adults and $40 for seniors, youth, and faculty/staff. Following a strong 2024 season with a 17-12 record, UC San Diego aims to build on their success this upcoming year.

By the Numbers

• 2024 season record: 17-12 overall, 3-2 in Big West.
• Upcoming Triton Invitational: August 29-31, featuring top-ranked teams.
• Season ticket prices: $50 (Adults), $40 (Seniors/Youth/Faculty/Staff).

Yes, But

The Tritons’ success in the Big West has raised expectations, but they will face strong competition from established programs, including defending champions Long Beach State. Balancing performance with increased expectations will be crucial for maintaining momentum.

State of Play

• Tritons kick off the season with a competitive Triton Invitational featuring national contenders.
• Home matches against high-profile opponents such as Stanford and LMU are anticipated to draw large crowds.

What’s Next

As the season progresses, the Tritons will need to leverage their home advantage to secure crucial Big West victories, setting the stage for a potential championship run. The anticipated matches against rivals will be key indicators of their season trajectory.

Bottom Line

Securing season tickets is essential for fans wishing to witness the Tritons’ journey as they continue to compete at a higher level in NCAA Division I. The home crowd’s energy could play a pivotal role in supporting the team’s ambitions this season.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board unanimously approved the 25-year Lake Tahoe Regional Transportation Plan last week, TRPA said today.

Called Connections 2050, the four-year update ensures that transportation policies and priority projects improve safety, protect the lake, and reduce vehicle miles traveled in the Tahoe Basin. Backed by extensive public and partner agency input, the plan includes more than 90 projects focused on improving transit, trails, town centers, and technology.

“Improving Tahoe’s transportation system supports our lake environment and communities,” TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan said. “Significant progress has been made upgrading Tahoe’s roads with water quality infrastructure and providing additional options like trails and transit. We must continue that progress while addressing growing safety concerns and strengthening the resilience of the region.”

Key strategies of Connections 2050 include:

• Increasing safety and reducing congestion in Tahoe’s most popular roadway corridors through corridor management plans that coordinate transit, parking management, and reservation systems.
• Supporting wildfire evacuation planning by ensuring roadways are safe and navigable and communication infrastructure is ready for more extreme weather and emergencies.
• Integrating new technology including travel apps, communication systems, parking reservations, and on-demand microtransit.
• Identifying sustainable funding to invest in transportation infrastructure and transit.

An example of corridor work kicked off earlier this month with the launch of the Emerald Bay pilot project. Public agencies and non-profit partners are coordinating new microtransit service, installation of roadside parking barriers, and more parking enforcement in one of Lake Tahoe’s most popular transportation corridors. In the first six days of the pilot, 460 passengers accessed Emerald Bay via microtransit thanks to the leadership of elected officials and the funding support of local nonprofits.

Enforcement Cases

The Governing Board also demonstrated its commitment for TRPA’s compliance initiatives by approving a $20,000 settlement for illegal tree removal at a property in Incline Village, Nev. The trees in question were not related to fire safety. TRPA works with all fire protection districts in the Tahoe Basin to ensure tree removal for defensible space is expedited, according to TRPA. Policies allow property owners to remove hazardous trees with fire district approval and, in some cases, without a TRPA permit. TRPA approval is generally required in non-hazardous cases to maintain forest health, prevent soil erosion, and protect scenic quality. For more information on tree removal, visit trpa.gov/trees-and-defensible-space.

The enforcement case adds to Board-approved settlements last month including a $16,000 fine for illegal tree removal on public land in South Lake Tahoe, and an $85,000 penalty for removing sensitive vegetation and disturbing the shorezone on a lakefront property in North Lake Tahoe. A list of approved violation settlements is available at trpa.gov/agency.