My run home in pictures (Part 1)

A few times a month, I leave my car keys in a drawer and run to or from work. It’s a good way to squeeze in a 12-mile run during the week and save a few bucks on gas.

On Tuesday evening, I did it again, carrying a camera for the first time to record some of the sights. It was a fun run. It was also a necessary run, because my car was in the shop again, getting a hip replacement.

Here’s a look at my journey, from my downtown office to my home on the northeast side, via the Monon Trail and many neighborhoods.

1) Leave the Indy Star at 6:18 p.m.

2) Run up Massachusetts Avenue, past the art boutiques and coffee shops.

3) Run past the Indy Public Schools’ bus yard.

4) Dodge some gritty urban construction.

5) Cross a busy downtown road, Tenth Street.

6) Finally turn onto the Monon Trail, a popular rails-to-trails path, and head north for about five miles.

7) Take note of one of many emergency call boxes, in case someone decides to jump me.

8) Enjoy the view of the downtown skyline and my fellow commuters.

9) Run past several warehouses and urban art scenes.

10) Pass many factories that have been here for decades, and give this course a certain industrial charm.

11) Glad to see other people getting in an evening workout. You can see the Monon is paved, although Trail Boy likes to run down the soft shoulder.

12) Run over the scenic red bridge, which spans the Fall Creek.

13) Gaze below, and see nature for the first time. Resist the urge to scamper down the hillside and look for trails.

14) Run above traffic, past neighborhoods and mountains of dirt.

15) Trot past the state fairgrounds. Nothing to see today but an empty parking lot.

16) Pass a colorful archway, with the Indiana School for the Deaf in the background.

17) Hurry past a few run-down properties and their junkyard dogs.

18) Wave to what appears to be the Monon Dog Walking Club.

19) Pass another of many houses that back up onto the Monon.

20) Finally exit the Monon at this playground, even through the trail continues for another 8 or 10 miles. Start running through neighborhoods.

(END OF PART ONE. Click here to see the second part, or just continue scrolling down.)