I recently returned from attending the Native American & Indigenous Studies Association conference at Mohegan Sun and Resort. Mohegan Sun is a tribally owned and operated hotel and casino in Uncasville, CT.

The day after I arrived at the hotel I stopped by the Concierge and asked about running paths in the area. The woman behind the desk told me that people were not permitted to run on the roads near the hotel.

She said that if security saw me running outside, they would drive after me, put me in the car, and take me back.

It sounded like fun. But I quickly came to the conclusion that hotel security had better things to do than chase after running Hopis.

Still, I  wonder how long it would have taken the hotel police to catch up with me? Probably not very long.

Officials at Mohegan Sun are not against running. They put the “NO RUNNING” rule in place to protect their guests. According to the Concierge, several runners have been hit by cars, and many of these incidents have been “hit and runs.”

Nevertheless, I found it ironic that I was staying at a hotel on an Indian reservation and not allowed to run outside. But again, they had good reasons for their running policy.

After my conversation with the Concierge, I made my way to the hotel rec room and reluctantly got on a treadmill.

I don’t like running on treadmills.

I wanted to be outside dodging cars and attempting to outrun the police. Instead I was stuck on a machine, watching court t.v., and feeling very little sense of accomplishment.