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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Back on (the) Track

  I'm back to running again. For the last few weeks I've been hitting the local high school track once or twice a week to run 2 miles at a pop. During the week, two miles is all I have time for, my mornings are pretty busy getting myself and our two boys up and going in the right direction. 
This morning I really focused on my form: stride, pace, the movement of my arms. It worked, I finished 2 miles in 16:51 today, down from 17 1/2 minutes last week. 
This past weekend, while visiting the in-laws, I had a free morning and some lovely country roads in northern Virginia, so I mapped out at 5 mile out-and-back run, finishing in 46:05. 
I wonder sometimes while I'm running (who am I kidding, it occurs to me every time I run) why I'm doing this. At my age, shouldn't I be ok with slowing down a little?  I know my doctor, and my wife tell me that it's good for my heart, helps lower cholesterol and all those good medical things so I'll still be around to see my grandchildren. The real reason, though, is simpler than that. I run. It's what I do. I would not be happy with myself if I stopped. My mom tells me that at the age of 11 months, I got up on my feet and started running. I haven't really stopped since. Maybe I like the challenge, the difference from my sit-down office job, but mostly I just like to do it. Like reading, I don't always have the time to do as much as I would like, but when I get the chance, I take it. I'm a runner.

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