Forrest Gump did it for ‘three years, two months, 14 days and 16 hours,’ and he sure didn’t wait on any treadmill lines.

With the warm weather making its fashionably late appearance, jogging can be one of the most effective ways to stay in shape and burn off some of the calories accumulated from beer, wings and well, more beer.

Syracuse University’s scenic campus offers some pleasant sites, varying terrain and safe sidewalks for both the serious and casual jogger. On any given spring day, SU’s campus is dotted with students – dressed in shorts, old T-shirts and headbands while plugged into iPods – boucing along the paved paths working up a sweat while taking in the crisp upstate air.

‘It’s easy to do,’ said Eliza Decker, assisant director for aquatics, fitness and wellness at SU’s Recreation Services. ‘And you’re definitely going to lose weight.’

Decker finds running an effective exercise for people with busy schedules who don’t have time to incorpoarate full-time gym workouts into their days. As a runner, all you need to do is tie up your running shoes and go outside, she said.

‘The benefits are you can do it anywhere, so like if your traveling, you don’t have to go to the gym to jog, you can do it outside, inside,’ she said, adding it also helps relieve stress.

Another advantage of jogging is the individual control over the time, distance and pace. And when enough is enough, just follow the logic of Forrest Gump:

‘I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now.’

The Manley RunDistance: 2 milesAs one of the most popular routes on campus, this Comstock Avenue path offers a complete run without any terrainn obstacles. With its flat landscape, the Manley run gives a jogger the oppurtunity to build up respectable endurance without pushing any limits. A two-mile run can be completed in less than 20 minutes and the straightaways make it an ideal route for any level runner.

The Downtown RunDistance: 5 milesThis route is clearly for more advanced runners, but makes a formidble goal for anyone who needs to work toward an objective. Along the way there are noteable checkpoints, ranging from the walls of the chancellor’s mansion to the marquee of the OnCenter at the War Memorial.

Though the distance is considerable, it is in line with the latest trend. Decker said one of the most popular settings for running today is community events, such as the upcoming 10-mile Mountain Goat Run in Syracuse. And the distances for these events are typically between five kilmoeters and 10 miles, making this prime training territory. Be warned, they don’t call SU ‘the Hill’ for nothing. The climb up East Adams Street could exhaust even the most in-shape runners.

Long Campus LoopDistance: 2.5 milesWhile this loop may have a similar name to its ‘short’ counterpart, and its distance may rank similarly to the Manley run’s, this route is its own mix of varying terrain and sightly landmarks. Its best attribute is the speed burst gained from running down M-Street. From Haven to Dunkin Donuts, the ground will soar, yet sooner than later, the Dome is on the left, and the uphill battle begins to wear down tired legs.

The traffic, both vehicle and human, of the hospital district is known to get hazardous, but this perimeter check of the SU campus provides a reasonable rush for novice runners.

Short Campus LoopDistance: 1 mileDecker advises anyone jumping on the jogging bandwagon to work themselves up to a mile. The shorter campus loop is a scencic breeding ground for future marathon runners. It will feel like an extended walk to class and let everyone on campus see your dedication to cross training. But at the very least, this mild terrain and short distance should be an easy test to see if you’re in shape or not. The lesson: if you can’t survive this route – lay off the Wings.

Published on April 19, 2007 at 12:00 pm