By Jasmine Gonzalez

Regardless of the near 90 degree weather, the summer sun still brings out the desire to be outdoors. Despite the scorching heat, students often take advantage of the heat to head outside for that highly anticipated, if infrequent, run. Make sure to keep well hydrated in the heat and you too can soon be making your way along the many routes and trails Boston has to offer. For those not sure of where to go, the Marino Center offers a sheet outlining running routes around the Fens and the Charles River. For a more expanded version, head over to Marathon Sports on Boylston Street and pick up a free “Running Guide to Boston,” a simplified map complete with measured distances, that includes running routes around Watertown, Jamaica Pond, Fresh Pond, and the Boston Common. Located across from the Boston Public Library, Marathon Sports is adjacent to the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Shane O’Hara, manager of Marathon Sports, talked about what he felt were some of Boston’s best running routes. O’Hara recommends the interesting and fun path along the Charles River to avoid the interruptions of city. “You won’t have to worry about traffic lights and too many cars…your biggest worry would be people on bikes or blades,” he says. O’Hara also mentions the Jamaica Pond as a decent running place, but states “it’s sometimes not as well lit and can be busier with cars in the area.” For serious runners eager to taste the famous 26-mile Boston Marathon route, O’Hara suggests you “follow Beacon St. all the way out. Right in by BC you can start to run on roads leading you onto the marathon course.” With this route, he says, “you’re getting hills and the fun and excitement that comes with being on the marathon course itself.” Most people begin training around November, according to O’Hara, but for those not exactly in tiptop shape, why not start early? Recent graduate Erica Mulligan is someone who hasn’t just tasted the Boston Marathon route, but experienced the entire run itself. While at NU she majored in criminal justice and has run the marathon for the past three years. When asked for specifics on how she trains, Mulligan simply responded, “I just run a lot.” Finding it more convenient to run indoors, she generally trains on the treadmill but heads over to the Charles River when she chooses to venture outside. “I enjoy running there because there are always a lot of people around,” Mulligan said. Ibiere Feck, senior journalism and philosophy major, also enjoys the occasional run outside, preferring the outdoor environment to running at the gym. “I don’t like the air conditioning too much… I feel [the outdoors] is not as artificial,” she says. While some students prefer to follow specific routes, perhaps to keep track of the distance they’re running and ensuring they don’t get lost, others like Feck go where ever their feet take them. “I run wherever I’m drawn to. No particular route, but I try to avoid hills,” she said. Many hit the pavement to stay fit or enjoy fresh air on a nice summer day, but some students find their motivation elsewhere. Middler with a dual major in computer science and cognitive psychology, Ron Adams’ motivation: “Hot chicks.” Seems like many from the NU community have discovered the benefits of running outdoors. For those of you who consider running the attempt to arrive on time for that 8 a.m. class via a morning sprint from Huntington Avenue to Ryder Hall