This statistic is an estimation—about 99% of my running is with a running group or a solo run. Unplanned running thus is about 1%.

I was road-tripping on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington with my adult daughter in April, and we stopped at a remote section of beach. It was a sunny day, the waves were crashing, and I was taken by the beauty. I started running. I made a windy, curvy path and after about a minute of sprinting on the firm sand, I stopped and noticed my daughter had been watching. She broke into a sprint and came straight to me, running karate-style, hands held as if doing karate chops.

This spontaneous outbreak of running often happens whenever my mood suddenly elevates. Usually sparked by a very beautiful spot that’s also running friendly, my daughter and I have jointly experienced this multiple times.

Sometimes my unplanned running is a necessity. I strive to use my car as little as possible and getting around by foot sometimes requires a sprint across an arterial to beat the light or approaching cars. On rare occasions I’m late for something, and I’ll alternate running and walking. My planned runs composing 99% of my running keeps me in good shape for the 1% of unplanned.

Sometimes I break into a run because I’m in a good mood despite no beautiful scene or event to spark it. Franklin Park occupies most of the half mile from my house to a Trader Joe’s store. Every once in a while, the urge to run will hit as I walk across the park.

If you happen to see me doing unplanned running across or down a street, know that I can’t stop and say hello—I’m likely late for something or avoiding getting hit by a car. But if you see me at the ocean shore and it’s a beautiful day, I’d be very happy if you sprinted over to me. And if you use the karate running style I’ll gladly give you a big pat on the back.