I had a mid-morning meeting in Wilmette, Ill., a few miles northeast of my home and only a few miles from Lake Michigan. When I left the meeting, I felt the call of the lakefront.

Fortunately, I always have workout gear in my car. You never know when you might need a quick change to sweats, and I am always prepared. I stopped at the health club to change and then drove to the lakefront.

It was a gorgeous 60-degree day, but it felt warmer. I walked a couple blocks and then slowly broke into a casual run. I am not in training for any races, nor was I in any hurry. I simply ran and let my mind wander as the soft breeze brought an occasional very fine mist off the lake. When I started to tire, I turned and headed back for my car.

Running by the lake is so therapeutic for me. Looking south, I am always amazed at the Chicago skyline. There are few skylines this impressive.

Looking east, I see Lake Michigan. It can be calm and tranquil. It can be raging and powerful. It can also be anywhere in between. Sometimes it is all of that within the time period of my run. It is a real wonder.

As I drove home, I was tired, but I also felt invigorated. I always feel a tremendous sense of calm after a run by the lake. There is no other feeling quite like this and no other place to run that gives me the same feeling.

It doesn’t have to be running by a major lake, but I hope everyone has something like this. I feel close to nature, at peace with life and generally just happy. I almost feel like I could run a few more miles.

— John Wroblewski, online contributor