Bouncing Off the Walls

I recently started running again, after a hiatus that's been longer than I'd like to admit. A few months ago, the extent of my calorie-burning activities consisted of walking from my table to the jukebox at the Lakewood Landing, but now I actually look forward to my runs and enjoy...

By Jennifer Elaine-Davis

May 21, 2009

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I recently started running again, after a hiatus that's been longer than I'd like to admit. A few months ago, the extent of my calorie-burning activities consisted of walking from my table to the jukebox at the Lakewood Landing, but now I actually look forward to my runs and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with them. It's a constant source of amazement to me how peaceful and empowered I feel after a good run, and I imagine if I can get that feeling after a 30-minute trek down Swiss Avenue, parkour enthusiasts probably feel like they can do anything. You might not have heard of parkour yet, but it's slowly making its way to notoriety among fitness buffs as a hell of a workout. Also known as "free running," it involves making the landscapes and cityscapes around us our fitness equipment by scaling walls, balancing on ledges and traversing tunnels. And though all the crawling and jumping gets your heart rate up, it's much more than cardio, imparting a Zen state of mind that's more martial arts than marathon. Dallas gets an introduction to the activity that aims to promote the abilities of the human body at CrossFit Strong, 4304 N. Belt Line Parkway. The workshop, which is free, begins at 2 p.m. Saturday Visit texasparkour.com for more information.
Sat., May 23, 2 p.m., 2009

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