Not Really a Runner

I so rarely post here now. I suppose it's the honest truth that I don't really live a "running life" anymore, so there aren't too many relevant notes to post. Sigh.

This year, at least so far, I'm barely doing any running at all. If trends continue, I won't even hit 500 miles for the entire 12 months. There was a time when I could do that much mileage in a month. Granted that was 30+ years ago. Another sigh.

I try to take solace in the fact that I'm on track to ride nearly 4000 miles on my road bike, so at least I'm getting my heart rate up and some sweat going nearly every day. But I sure do miss running consistently, not just for the fitness, but also for the peace of mind it always brought me. Cycling requires a kind of intense concentration (for safety's sake) that running simply does not. One needs to be mindful not only of traffic, but also road hazards, broken glass, other humans (including a small percentage who seem to hate every cyclist with a burning passion), and more. For example, here's an excerpt from my training log earlier this week (a morning road bike workout of just over 20 miles and a bit over an hour of effort):

"At nine miles I’m going about 19 mph when a raccoon runs out of the bushes and face-plants into my right foot. Boom. It bounces off - luckily I was on the downstroke or it might have gone under my rear wheel. I didn’t crash, just bounced over a foot or two. Whew. I looked over my shoulder and the thing was just continuing on it’s journey as if nothing had happened. Then one mile later an old lady pushing a toy stroller - the kind a child would use to push a doll, bright pink and empty- looks right at me and proceeds to walk directly in my path. I skid to a stop a few feet from her, she never even glances up. One of those days I guess."

What's next?

Actually, I wish I had it all recorded on video, because it reads as absurd enough to be a figment of my imagination. I swear it happened.

Be safe out there, and never take running for granted. I confess that I truly miss the days when I could!