ity running has its charms: (accelerated) window-shopping, people-watching, and an energy you won't find in the 'burbs. But sometimes the rhythm of your run can be ruined by the endless stream of cars whizzing by, forcing you to jog in place on street corners while you look both ways; the mementos left by dogs whose owners don't believe in carrying plastic bags; or the fumes produced both by the cars and the mementos. There are some runs that want to be accomplished along a beach or in the woods. There are some runs that you just can't do in the city. Or can't you?

In fact, there are ways to feel the sand give way or twigs snap under your sneakers without actually leaving Boston.
 
Before you even think it, I'm not talking about the Esplanade. It may be one of the best places to run in our fair running city, with its uninterrupted footfalls and water views, but there are still all those cars zipping by you, and with a quick turn of your head to either side of the river, your eyes fall upon the Citgo sign, the Pru, or all the many buildings that shelter the scholars of Cambridge. The Esplanade is certainly charming and quintessentially Boston, but it definitely feels like city running.



To get your toes sandy, head south from the Esplanade to the "Sugar Bowl." Part of the Harborwalk, Southie's favorite loop for running, walking, and sunning comes in at just over two miles and encircles Pleasure Bay, a favorite spot for kite surfers and plane spotters. In the northeast corner of the circuit is Castle Island (above), home not actually to a castle but to the five-pointed Fort Independence, and which hasn't been an island since the 1930s. Neither of these facts seem to bother the throngs of people who amble or stride along the route when the weather is nice. Those who want to forgo the pavement can opt for running a leg along the sandy beach tucked against nearly half of the loop. Opposite that stretch, and out into Boston Harbor, the route provides close views of Logan. When you tip your head back to see the low-flying planes about to land, be careful that you don't run into one of the amateur fishermen taking casts off the pier. 



If you can't swim, or don't like castles, head for the woods.

 The Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain sprawls across 265 of the 1,100 acres that make up Boston's Emerald Necklace. It's home to a research institution, more than 15,000 trees, shrubs, and vines, and, one day when I was running through it, a couple of people playing oboes. The oldest public arboretum in North America, it is beautiful, quiet, and clean. And if you want to stop and smell the roses (or lilacs, junipers, and azaleas, among others), you can plan your run around them using the interactive plant map.

Escapes from the city within the city though they are, both areas still offer beautiful views of the Boston skyline, if you want to see it, from the portion of the Sugar Bowl that draws a line through the harbor, and from Bussey Hill or Peters Hill in the Arboretum.

It's so inspiring, you'll probably improve your pace.