Scenic laps tracked outside Drake

“To run” is such a simple verb.

It is by far the sport that requires the least amount of knowledge or preparation for the common person to participate.

Running does not demand any technical equipment, nor does it have specific rules that have to be followed. A runner can run anywhere, anytime.

If you look around the UCLA campus, you can see students lacing up their running shoes to get in a workout.

There are countless runners, maneuvering their way through and around campus, whom students must dodge in order to make it to class every day.

They pass by with a noticeable focused glare and body language suggesting they are driven individuals.

It can be nearly impossible for a spectator to estimate what distance the runner has already covered.

Sometimes, even the runners themselves have no idea how much ground they have traveled.

There are no mile markers around the perimeter of the campus, or along most of the runs frequented by UCLA students.

The USA Track & Field Web site offers a solution.

A runner anywhere in the country can log on to www.usatf.org/routes to figure out the distance of his or her favorite run, or to find a new one.

A user can draw out a route, and the map automatically updates the distance from start to finish.

Users can also get creative and add water breaks at certain points during the route. They can also track the progress they make over time.

“This helpful tool allows me to plan out a specific distance so I can keep track of how much I am running, and how much distance I can add to a future workout,” first-year business economics student Bobby Alexis said.

For amateur runners, getting started and maintaining steady development can be more difficult than the actual running.

For students thinking about taking the initial steps to running consistently, it is possible to find a route that has aid available if one was to need it.

Additionally, it is believed that runners perform better when they enjoy the sights and sounds surrounding them.

While running around the track at Drake Stadium has always offered precise distance tracking, now students can get the same precision with a change in scenery.

A popular run for Bruins follows the university’s perimeter. First-year mechanical engineering student Garrett Brown frequents this path.

“(The perimeter) is very accessible and takes you all the way around the campus,” Brown said.

Depending on where you start, a run around the perimeter can be worked out to a little under four miles.

A slightly shorter loop involves a run down the 405 and a loop back up Veteran that covers about three miles.

For students wanting a longer run and a dip in the ocean, a run starting at the corner of Veteran and Sunset and ending at the Pacific Ocean translates into around nine miles.

Anyone who gives it a try knows that the benefits of running go far beyond the distance traveled and calories burned. Obviously, running is healthy for the body and, when constantly practiced, helps a person to stay in shape.

But what many non-runners do not realize is how helpful running can be in other areas of one’s life.

“I find it easy to apply the initiative it takes to complete a 10-mile run to other areas of my day-to-day life,” Brown said.

Running can also offer a type of spiritual healing. Like the body, the mind also needs rest. Varying a route for its length based on the amount of time you want to think can be useful.

Being able to put all of life’s challenges to the side for half an hour can make all the difference when it comes to juggling the challenges college life. It turns out there may be exceptions to the old saying: Don’t run away from your problems.