There is a quote I read somewhere… from Joan Benoit Samuelson about when she started running:
“When I first started running, I was so embarrassed I'd walk when cars passed me. I'd pretend I was looking at the flowers!"
http://agoodgroup.com/running/quotes.html
When I first read that… I assumed she was embarrassed because she was slow. I know the feeling… there are times when I have been out running and I wished I could pretend I was doing something else because I am so slow.
Of course, Joan Benoit Samuelson went on to win the first women’s Olympic Marathon. To me, there was some comfort to thinking that even someone as great of a runner as she… was once slow. Well… now I am not so sure. Now I read in this forum… that she may have been embarrassed alright, but not because she was slow, but because she was a women.
http://forums.usms.org/archive/index.php/t-3151.html
That seems crazy from today’s perspective… so crazy that I didn’t even consider it when I read that quote. It seems there are more women runners than men now… so it is hard to imagine a time when they didn’t rule the roads.
To me… it just adds to her legend in my mind. She wasn't following the crowd or anyones footsteps, she was blazing a new trail.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Monday, March 08, 2010
There is no road to nowhere
Someone I work with told me that they didn’t like running last week. They explained that it was torture and excruciatingly boring. It took me a few seconds to understand that they were talking about running on a *treadmill*. I explained that running outside was a completely different experience.
It got me thinking about how many people never start running outside because the experience on the dreadmill just sucked the life out of them. If they only knew how different running outside is. Running is not torture. Sure… there is some discomfort… sometimes… maybe for a few weeks when you start, or on a really long run, but for the most part it is pleasant and time flies. The hum that vibrates through your body after you stop running is heavenly... every muscle thanking you for playing with them like a childhood toy.
And yes… there is something very basic and simple about running that even kids understand. My son told me last week that he likes running… and when he meets someone new at school they measure each other up by a sprint across the school yard. That funny thing is… I remember just that… we moved and on my first day at my new school… first recess a classmate comes up and asks… ‘Hi my name is David… do you want to race?’ And off we went like wild horses.
Running is that basic and simple. It doesn’t take a PhD to put one foot in front of the other. Yes we may not need to run for transportation anymore… but a runners heart looks at the hill way over yonder and thinks… ‘I could run there.’
I don’t have any particular running goals right now. That may change tomorrow… I may be heading somewhere I just don’t understand yet. There is a quote from the movie Made in Heaven that goes something like, ‘if you don’t know where you are going, it don’t matter what road you take.’ I’m on that road right now.
It got me thinking about how many people never start running outside because the experience on the dreadmill just sucked the life out of them. If they only knew how different running outside is. Running is not torture. Sure… there is some discomfort… sometimes… maybe for a few weeks when you start, or on a really long run, but for the most part it is pleasant and time flies. The hum that vibrates through your body after you stop running is heavenly... every muscle thanking you for playing with them like a childhood toy.
And yes… there is something very basic and simple about running that even kids understand. My son told me last week that he likes running… and when he meets someone new at school they measure each other up by a sprint across the school yard. That funny thing is… I remember just that… we moved and on my first day at my new school… first recess a classmate comes up and asks… ‘Hi my name is David… do you want to race?’ And off we went like wild horses.
Running is that basic and simple. It doesn’t take a PhD to put one foot in front of the other. Yes we may not need to run for transportation anymore… but a runners heart looks at the hill way over yonder and thinks… ‘I could run there.’
I don’t have any particular running goals right now. That may change tomorrow… I may be heading somewhere I just don’t understand yet. There is a quote from the movie Made in Heaven that goes something like, ‘if you don’t know where you are going, it don’t matter what road you take.’ I’m on that road right now.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Running is as easy as 1..2..3… 4…5
I haven’t been running a lot lately but I miss it. Now that basketball league is over for now… I am looking at running again. I have been active… just not running… so I decided to run every day last week… starting with one mile… through 5 miles.
Now… every sport comes with its own distinct set of aches and pains… and I don’t recommend running every day if you haven’t done it for awhile… but 1 through 5 was easy enough for me. I was a little fatigued on Thursday and Friday… but nothing too bad.
I am looking forward to setting a schedule that keeps me running regularly.
Now… every sport comes with its own distinct set of aches and pains… and I don’t recommend running every day if you haven’t done it for awhile… but 1 through 5 was easy enough for me. I was a little fatigued on Thursday and Friday… but nothing too bad.
I am looking forward to setting a schedule that keeps me running regularly.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Running to basketball
OK… so I am not running much lately… but I am still active. That is why we run anyway isn’t it? So we can do the things we want to? I admit, that I do miss running… and I will make time for it soon… but right now I am just enjoying going to the gym with the family and playing in a basketball league for the first time in decades.
I love running… sure… but basketball was definitely my first love. Unfortunately I was neither tall are very athletically gifted… so my basketball career peeked at JV #2 for one year in high school. Ouch. I could always shoot though. I can remember shooting socks into a hamper in the hallway while listening to Blazer games on the radio. Then one Christmas I got one of those stand up basketball hoops for inside the house. Boy was that heaven. I shot and shot and shot and shot. Before practice in my JV #2 days I hit 50 free throws in a row. Shooting… I could do… the rest of the game… not so much.
When I was a kid I dreamed of having my own private indoor gym where I could shoot all day long. I remember when my grade school had open gym on Saturdays… I would go and play my heart out. The sound of sneakers squeaking… echoing of the gym walls… with wide open indoor space with huge ceilings… I just loved it… and dreamed of having a gym where I could play and shoot and listen to the Blazers on the radio.
Flash forward to 43… the skinny body is gone, but the kid is still in there somewhere and likes to go to the gym and shoot. It is obvious that my mid life crisis is to try all the old sports I used to play. I played on an adult baseball team, softball, racquetball, soccer, and now basketball. Of course I fit a marathon or three in there too.
There are a lot of 40+ year olds that just don’t have the bodies to be able to get out there actively anymore. I don’t want to be one of those people. Running certainly helps me in that department… and each year it gets harder and harder to be active without getting hurt.
I can remember when all the professional athletes were older than me. It seemed like they always would be. Now the 3rd oldest player in the NBA is 36. Thirty six is OLD? Now… I remember when 15 was old 20 was old… 21 was prefect… 30 was old… and 40 was ancient and another older was just inconceivable. I am in that range now… and though my body is certainly feeling the weight of the years… inside I am still the same kid that fell in love with sports. There is no reason to let that die. As long as I am blessed with a body that can move and stay in one piece… I will try my best to enjoy the gift.
I love running… sure… but basketball was definitely my first love. Unfortunately I was neither tall are very athletically gifted… so my basketball career peeked at JV #2 for one year in high school. Ouch. I could always shoot though. I can remember shooting socks into a hamper in the hallway while listening to Blazer games on the radio. Then one Christmas I got one of those stand up basketball hoops for inside the house. Boy was that heaven. I shot and shot and shot and shot. Before practice in my JV #2 days I hit 50 free throws in a row. Shooting… I could do… the rest of the game… not so much.
When I was a kid I dreamed of having my own private indoor gym where I could shoot all day long. I remember when my grade school had open gym on Saturdays… I would go and play my heart out. The sound of sneakers squeaking… echoing of the gym walls… with wide open indoor space with huge ceilings… I just loved it… and dreamed of having a gym where I could play and shoot and listen to the Blazers on the radio.
Flash forward to 43… the skinny body is gone, but the kid is still in there somewhere and likes to go to the gym and shoot. It is obvious that my mid life crisis is to try all the old sports I used to play. I played on an adult baseball team, softball, racquetball, soccer, and now basketball. Of course I fit a marathon or three in there too.
There are a lot of 40+ year olds that just don’t have the bodies to be able to get out there actively anymore. I don’t want to be one of those people. Running certainly helps me in that department… and each year it gets harder and harder to be active without getting hurt.
I can remember when all the professional athletes were older than me. It seemed like they always would be. Now the 3rd oldest player in the NBA is 36. Thirty six is OLD? Now… I remember when 15 was old 20 was old… 21 was prefect… 30 was old… and 40 was ancient and another older was just inconceivable. I am in that range now… and though my body is certainly feeling the weight of the years… inside I am still the same kid that fell in love with sports. There is no reason to let that die. As long as I am blessed with a body that can move and stay in one piece… I will try my best to enjoy the gift.
Friday, September 11, 2009
I ran!
I ran! Three times even. It’s a start.
I had more Dr’s appointments in the last few months than I have had in the last 30 years. It is perhaps a little ironic that my first race after taking up running was the Livestrong Challenge. I can remember the excitement of the race blended with admiration for all the cancer survivors. No, I don’t have cancer… and I would like that fact to remain the same throughout my life… but I can say that I am lucky I had some tests done. Very.
I remember one visit at OHSU when I walked through the lobby and there were cancer patients waiting for appointments. Some had no hair and I remember thinking to myself… me? Here? Why? I am healthy… I run marathons… I am not even middle aged yet! I have a great deal of respect for those who have battled or are battling cancer. I can only imagine what a personal strength it must take. But I kept thinking to myself that I was the square that didn’t belong on Sesame Street... and there was no way no how I would ever be in that picture. Hell… I was pretty sure I was going to live forever.
And now I know that isn’t the case… and even in perfect health, the end is most likely closer than the beginning for me. Heck… since life seems to speed up the older you get, I am probably at least ¾ of the way down the track.
And yet I have a 1 year old I desperately want to see grow up. Now, I can’t help it if I have bad genes… or if nature flips a bit on one of my cells when dividing. Those things… are out of my control. But what I can control is trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle to give me the best shot I have to watch my baby girl grow up.
And thus… is born… my health manifesto. What am I going to do? As Oogie Boogie would say, “I’m gonna do the best I can!”
My Health Manifesto
More water
Less fried foods
Less greasy foods
Eat variety
Less sugar
More variety of exercise
Less (white flour, refined sugar, and white rice)
More(whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables)
Less salt
No coffee
Less beer
Goals
Weight goal: 175
Running goal: Boston
Pushup goal: 100
Situp goal: TBD
I had more Dr’s appointments in the last few months than I have had in the last 30 years. It is perhaps a little ironic that my first race after taking up running was the Livestrong Challenge. I can remember the excitement of the race blended with admiration for all the cancer survivors. No, I don’t have cancer… and I would like that fact to remain the same throughout my life… but I can say that I am lucky I had some tests done. Very.
I remember one visit at OHSU when I walked through the lobby and there were cancer patients waiting for appointments. Some had no hair and I remember thinking to myself… me? Here? Why? I am healthy… I run marathons… I am not even middle aged yet! I have a great deal of respect for those who have battled or are battling cancer. I can only imagine what a personal strength it must take. But I kept thinking to myself that I was the square that didn’t belong on Sesame Street... and there was no way no how I would ever be in that picture. Hell… I was pretty sure I was going to live forever.
And now I know that isn’t the case… and even in perfect health, the end is most likely closer than the beginning for me. Heck… since life seems to speed up the older you get, I am probably at least ¾ of the way down the track.
And yet I have a 1 year old I desperately want to see grow up. Now, I can’t help it if I have bad genes… or if nature flips a bit on one of my cells when dividing. Those things… are out of my control. But what I can control is trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle to give me the best shot I have to watch my baby girl grow up.
And thus… is born… my health manifesto. What am I going to do? As Oogie Boogie would say, “I’m gonna do the best I can!”
My Health Manifesto
More water
Less fried foods
Less greasy foods
Eat variety
Less sugar
More variety of exercise
Less (white flour, refined sugar, and white rice)
More(whole grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables)
Less salt
No coffee
Less beer
Goals
Weight goal: 175
Running goal: Boston
Pushup goal: 100
Situp goal: TBD
Monday, August 17, 2009
Still not running
Not much to say about running right now… except I am not doing it. =) Soon I hope… soon.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Running on hold
I am not running at all right now... but hopefully in a few weeks I will start again. Waiting for some test results to verify I am in tip top shape. Still playing basketball, soccer and softball though. Had a few more dreams about running including last night... so I know it is time. Oh yes... it is time.
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