The Smells of Running

We'll take a brief break here from the normal updates on our coming and goings.  Although, I should mention that I finally finished sorting all of the pictures on our computer by year and month.  Moment of silence here to honor this momentous occasion (cause it was a task, let me tell you).  OK.....thank you.  Yes there are pictures from June and now July to file and an update to write on our awesome ten year anniversary trip to the mountains but that's current times, not pictures from up to three years ago that were still hanging around in random folders.

Running...it's smelly.  I know that doesn't surprise you.  But I'm not talking about the obvious odors that arise, shall we say, from such a sweaty activity.  Actually, and I know this is TMI, you really don't get a whiff of those until you finish your run. Thank goodness. While you are running, you're smelling the wonders of the world that is all around you.  Not all smells are pleasant either.  But if you are like me a simple sniff can immediately transport me to another time and place. I'm not sure we think about smells this way but it's true.  And a long run is the perfect opportunity to do some daydreaming...or reminiscing.  So what do I smell?  And where do they take me?  (OK, for those of you with little kids, immediate reference to Frannie's Feet..."Where will my feet take me today?"  Seems appropriate.)

• Asphalt, we'll start with the obvious one here.  Normally, you don't smell the asphalt but occasionally if I'm running on newly paving roads and especially if it's warm and sunny, the asphalt smell floats up.
• Fertilizer.  I've mentioned in a previous post that my grandparents were faithful Chem-lawn customers back in the day.  Therefore there was always the distinct smell of fertilizer (and driveway sealer...that too) whenever you got out of the car at there house.  That's not the only memory I have around lawn care smells.  I worked at a lawn and garden center in high school, back in the day when I thought I was going to be a botanist or horticulturalist when I grew up (No joke...freshmen biology and chemistry took care of that dream).  Lest you think I was tending to the plants, not so fast.  I worked the cash register, which placed right next to it was the fertilizer and manure.  I think it was placed there because it was an easy sell as people were wheeling through their annuals and perennials (and we sold a ton of it) but MY GOD did it stink.  Let me also say that there was NO AIR CONDITIONING and half the building was a greenhouse (What was I thinking?  Clearly my sister, who spent a summer making ice cream sundaes in a nice, air conditioned Friendly's was the smarter one here).  After a while you tuned out the smell, although every person that came in did ask..."how can you put up with that?"
• Fresh cut grass.  I'm not sure there's any specific memories here but if its spring or fall when I smell it, I always think of warm summer days.
• Mucky, swampy water.  Not pleasant but thankfully brief as I run by the dam at Bunn Lake.  However, I always think of driving to the beach.  You that point when you're almost there and you have to drive through the marsh beforehand?  This may be a Cape Cod thing but I think even in NC you can smell that just before you reach the Outer Banks.
• Hay, a barn smell.  Hands down, the Big E every time (for those of you not in the know, that's the New England state fair, which happens ever year right next to my hometown).  I spent A LOT of time there growing up, working our church's restaurant, marching in parades in high school, etc...  What trip to the fair would be complete without a tour through the animal barns pet some sheep?
• Rain evaporating from the road.  Yes this has a distinct smell.  I've run a few times after storms and this smell along with the fresh breeze is always wonderful.
• Smoke, like someone is burning leaves.  Although people do this all during the year, I always associate it with fall.  Makes me think of late October, Halloween time.  Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and all that.
• Charcoal...heaven forbid this smell happens in the second half of a long run.  Cause then it's just plain cruel.  I spend the next five minutes trying to guess what exactly they a barbecuing, or more importantly what I WOULD BBQ if that grill was mine).
• Wood...construction.  Their starting to building again in our area.  One thing I thing of here is Ted's apartment when he lived down near Fort Bragg.  It was a new complex and they were still building when moved out so the whole time he lived there the smell of fresh wood was constant.
• Moth balls.  There is the house that I run by that the owner put moth balls down around the mailbox. Instantly I am upstairs at my grandma's house.
• Pine trees.  Either Christmas trees or Cape Cod.  The place where we camped was in the woods with tons of pine trees (and skunks).
• Dryer sheets.  We don't personally use fabric softener or dryer sheets thanks to both Teddy's and my sensitive skin but I still love the smell of fresh laundry.
• Lilac.  This is by far my favorite floral smell.  Growing up there were lilac trees (or are they bushes?) in the neighborhood and there was always that one week in the spring when they would all bloom.  I don't know if it's lilac I'm smelling during spring runs but I hope it is.
• Sweet floral smell.  I'm just assuming any other floral smell that wafts past my nose this time of year is not lilac.  Could be honeysuckle.  It really doesn't matter, it smells great.
• I don't know the source of this one but...and go with me here...every time I smell it I swear it smells EXACTLY like the bathrooms in the Parish Center at church growing up. Like the cleaner they used, a GOOD bathroom smell. I know, crazy that I would make this association but seriously it does.  I am reminded of coffee and donuts after mass on Sundays. How we had to hurry up and get over there because there were only so many chocolate covered donuts with sprinkles on them.  How the parents would just let the kids loose to run around while they sat and talked.  Good times.

All of these smells are brief, just a second or two in the wind as I breeze by.  But paying attention to the smells is fun and helps my mind to wander as the miles go by.  Part of running for me is a chance to get away for some time to myself and (as crazy as this sounds) relax in a way.  This sniffing and mind wandering clears my brain.  I swear tonight I smelled someone frying potatoes.  Must have been the heat...