Interestingly, my first exhilarating running experiences came about when I started trail running.

I wasn't a heavy runner before, but I had trained for/completed an Olympic triathlon, and run several miles every once in a while like most formerly-athletic people.

But the first time I ran on a trail in the woods I was like "YEAH!" and I still get no similar rush from street running though I do that 10+ miles a week these days.

Some of us need would need to run for an hour just to get away from the city blocks. Well, I'm currently fortunate enough to have a park just nearby, though it's a rather small and boring park... nothing like living next door to a vast forest full of trails (as I did when growing up).