Peconic Bay Boulevard Provides a Picturesque Four-Mile Run in Mattituck

It's probably no secret to many who live in Mattituck, where I've lived for almost two years — I love to run.

And Saturday morning or early afternoon is the perfect time for me to indulge in more than just a couple of miles on the treadmill, something I wish I could do every day. But ... welcome to workaday obligations in the crazy world of online journalism, right?

One of my usual and favorite local routes is a four-mile run on Peconic Bay Boulevard starting and ending at the — also one of my favorite spots on the North Fork, with its quiet and clean little beach, maintained by the and a private yacht club. I run west to the deadend of Laurel Lane, always take a breather at the deck with the sweeping view of the bay, then head back. That's just over four miles, actually.

This past Saturday, I decided to take my camera because it was just so amazingly pretty outside. Now is the time, with the sun hitting the water and the clouds just so, when you feel like you're living in a painting on the North Fork. And now is the time to really hit the roads again after a long winter, when every time I tried to run on shoulderless icy roads I felt like I was sure to break an ankle or get hit by a car — how depressing. 

I've done a lot of things in my 34 years, but running has been the one consistent thing I've always done. I have vague memories from when I was 5 or 6 years old, running up a sandy hill as fast as I could just to beat the neighbor boy. Yes! And I was highly competitive in high school, eating just enough every day to maximize energy so I could sprint two laps around the track and conquer the 800 (well, you don't really sprint two laps — you die two laps in that race).

But now I run ... because I like to. The benefits of this particular activity have always outweighed the pain. Running forces you to see the world in much more detail than you usually do, zipping by in your car as you stress about work and life in general. And what a great place to have this particular habit.

I hope you enjoy these pictures, and I hope to hit a different spot every weekend to showcase the area and to force me to do at least one long run a week — ha. Please feel free to share your thoughts on the best places to run on the North Fork.

And if you've been putting off the running all winter as I have — get a new pair of shoes and get out there!