Scenic running paths free mind and muscle

Beer, pizza, Terrace, Wolman, RoFo fried chicken and Orient Express - six reasons why every student at Hopkins should have a weekly exercise routine.

Now, I'm not trying to say that these things will make you fat, because as we all know, they are staples of the Homewood diet and are, by varying degrees, necessary to a student's well-being. Besides, the majority of sophomores - as well as the entire freshman class - are handcuffed to the over-priced and most-of-the-time, fat-filled meal plan. Honestly, how many people can say they've never stopped in to visit Effie to satisfy their late night, beer- or study-induced grease craving? While there is talk of laxative-laced entrees at one particular dining hall - I'll let you guess, one can't rely solely on quick processing to keep a svelte figure intact. In light of all this, I've got a plan for everyone. Even for students who are not involved in a sport, here is hope - and some place to go - once you've figured out that all of the equipment in the AC. only works during a full moon on the third Sunday of the year.

When I was a freshman, one of my biggest fears about my first year of college was gaining the dreaded freshman 15. So my friends and I would try to go running at least three times a week. Granted, I wasn't always the most graceful - or, for that matter, fastest - runner on the Sunday after a long weekend of partying/studying. However, running around the campus area gave me a fresh perspective on Baltimore and the surrounding region. Plus, it was nice to be able to get out and learn the streets around us, exploring both sides of Charles St. in a general area bounded by Cold Spring Lane to the north, York Rd. to the east and 32nd St to the south. Throughout the course of the year, we learned where to run for ambiance and where to run for a good hill workout. The following three routes are all great ways to see the best parts of Baltimore City, and they all have a slightly different terrain.

The first route is the best, mainly because of its lack of hills and the great sights along the way. It's in an upscale area to the northeast of campus called Guilford, a small district with posh houses and golf-green lawns. The best place to start is right behind McCoy, heading north on St. Paul St.. Once you cross over E. University Pkwy, you'll find yourself entering the Guilford neighborhood. If you continue straight on St. Paul, you will intersect St. Martin's Rd. Take a right here and head east to Greenway Ave, where, if you hang a left, you should come to a nice little area called Sherwood Gardens. There are houses that surround the park, but it is open to the public. The park is maintained by the neighborhood residents, and they keep the flowers alive and blooming throughout the spring, summer and fall. Right now, there are a variety of fall flowers in all colors and genres. In the spring, every bed gives rise to the most beautiful tulips in the world. There is nothing that can describe the warm, fuzzy feeling that I got when I first saw it last semester.

Okay, back to running. It's usually good to do a few laps around the park, in order to take in the sights and add a little more time to your run. Keep in mind, this is still extremely close to campus, so if you get lost - as I have a couple times - just keep the boundaries in mind. After circling the park, it might be good to run up to York Rd., turn around and then head back down Greenway towards St. Martin's. There is a little neighborhood right off of St. Martin's that is nice to run into as well. If you decide to take a break from this run - which I don't recommend because it is the easiest of the three - there is a retired professor near Sherwood Gardens who has a collection of birds. The parrots are quite amazing, but stopping to see them won't make up for the four pieces of their farm-raised relatives that you snarfed last week.

The next run is not as scenic, but it offers a slightly more consistent path with fewer turn-arounds and opportunities for getting lost. Starting on University Pkwy, set your sites west towards the Carlisle Apartments. Take the right fork in the road - University becomes Roland Ave., the other fork is 40th St. which leads to the Rotunda - and plan on heading straight and slightly uphill for a while. The houses in this area are nice as well, but the traffic is heavier, so I advise picking one side of the street and staying on it. You will come to Cold Spring Lane, where you will take a right and begin to head downhill. This takes you to Loyola, which sits on the corner of Charles St. The path along Cold Spring is fairly hilly and is definitely more of a challenge. Hang a right at Charles St. This will take you all the way back to Hopkins and back to University, right where you started. One loop is about three miles; doing two of these loops is a great workout, but one will suffice to get your blood moving and your energy going.

The last and most challenging run is through Roland Park. Roland Park was built on hills. Trust me, there are sparse areas in this neighborhood where you will find yourself neither ascending nor descending. For those of you who really want to work on your aerobic capacity, however, this is the place to run. If you begin by heading north on Charles St. and taking a left before you reach Loyola, you will enter Roland Park. Roland Park is inside the Cold Spring-Charles-University quadrant. The area is hard to miss because the houses and landscapes are the prettiest in this area and probably the most expensive. This can be a great place to release your school-related stress and just get your mind off of things. Running through this area on a cool spring or early fall evening can be as therapeutic as a bubble bath. Well, that might not be the case for the truly non-athletic, but I think most people will find that it is nice to see places that aren't the library, the dorms or the dining halls. In this area, you have to run in circles because the roads are short, and it is easy to accidentally leave the neighborhood if you head in any one direction for too long. Along the southern end of the neighborhood, you'll find Canterbury Rd., which will lead you out to University Pkwy. It is almost impossible to map out an exact path through this area because of the amount of turning it requires. If you're going to run in Roland Park, take a friend so that if you get lost, you're lost together. Keep in mind that if you run straight in any one direction, you should hit one of the three bordering roads that will get you back to Hopkins. So, take a study break and get out running. Your body will thank you.