Are there any runners here?

[JohnZ]

God bless you, man. I wouldn't run if my pants were on fire.

[Tosh]

God bless you, man. I wouldn't run if my pants were on fire.

You know, if Bill W hadn't been a chain-smoker, and had he written the BB at a different time; I'm sure he would've included some suggestions for physical exercise in there.

And running can be quite a spiritual activity you know! Being 'spiritual' (to me) is about working with my mind, and running is just as much a mental activity (dealing with the pain and discomfort for example) than it is physical.

And you get to see a lot of ladies in tight fitting Lycra.

If you can walk, you can run (as a general rule). Never fancy it at all? There's some good "Couch to 5k" programs on the interweb which break new runners in gently with a walk/run program. We could even start our own A.A.A.A. running club; "Alcoholics Anonymous Almost Athletes". It'd be fun!

[Tosh]

I was determined not to let that small child beat me to the finish line!



The meditation is working too; I'm levitating.

No runners here? It's good stuff!

[ann2]

Looking good Tosh!

Lately this summer my thing has been pulling burning nettles (perhaps they are stinging nettles, my horticulteral degree is a long way away). I get hot and sweaty and exhausted. It's exhilerating. And I make room for the raspberry bushes, the meadowsweet, wild orchids, and masses of Swedish wildflowers I am trying to get a handle on.

It started because the waste treatment guy complained about the access for empyting the septic tank. The nettles were as high as a man. I was overwhelmed by the prospect of clearing them away but I found that little by little it was doable, and a wonderful occupation to boot.

And now my favorite thing in the morning is to stroll along the septic field with my coffee. The few drivers that go by on our private lane probably think of me as the nutty American who is finally paying attention to a problem many have seen for a long time.

Not unlike the few humans who noticed me getting sober.

Ann

[Jaywalker Steve]

Good mid-foot form Tosh!

I've been battling a hip injury all year that's limited me a bit, but still able to go at it in moderation....yikes! Like you, I see a marathon on the horizon.

[CGPoolman]

Tosh,

I'm a runner myself - I picked up running when put down the drink. I started off barely being able to finish a mile, and just kept pushing. It has become a part of my everyday routine. Wake up - give thanks - say a prayer - slap on the headphones, and get out the door to enjoy the beautiful sunrise God gives to me every day. My original goal was to complete a 5k. After the first race I was hooked. After many attempts I finally cracked the 24:00 barrier in the 5K, also got a few 10K's under my belt as well. I'm now training to run my first half marathon in October. I love collecting race bibs and medals, I have a lot more pride in those than the empty bottles I used to collect!

-CG

[Tosh]

Good mid-foot form Tosh!

Thanks; I do concentrate on running form; I'll even go barefoot around a track to help with that. If I don't run properly barefoot, it hurts and automatically my body self corrects. I'm hoping it'll keep injuries down to a minimum; so far so good; apart from once when I over did it.

I hope the hip injury gets better.

[Tosh]

After many attempts I finally cracked the 24:00 barrier in the 5K, also got a few 10K's under my belt as well. I'm now training to run my first half marathon in October. I love collecting race bibs and medals, I have a lot more pride in those than the empty bottles I used to collect!

-CG

24 minutes is good; my first 5k (about two years ago) was around 35 minutes I think; but I'd not long stopped smoking 40-a-day then; and doing that wrecked me. We have something called Park Runs in the UK; it's lottery funded, so completely free to the runner and they're ran all over the UK. They're just a 5k run (or race if you want) and I love them.

Good luck with the half; just keep on increasing that weekly long run by 10 minutes (or a mile); run it slowly - no need to thrash yourself at all on a long run; walking is fine too; it's all about time on your feet - and it won't be a problem. I love my long slow runs. I don't like speed work or hill reps; they hurt; but long slow runs are quality. It's possible to practise a bit of meditation as well during running; particularly long runs (just to chuck a bit of A.A. in).

[Tosh]

And now my favorite thing in the morning is to stroll along the septic field with my coffee.

If you can walk, you can run! I'm just planting a seed here, I hope.

[Troy M.]

I would run if I could, but a lack of cartilage in the knees prevents that. However, I can spin around on a bicycle for many hours. Good job on the running, keep it up!

[Tosh]

Cheers, Troy. I've got a bike but I can't seem to get into cycling. I think I'm too lazy to do the maintenance required; my gears are all 'clicky' and I don't know how to fix it. But a lot of good runners do cycling for cross training, so maybe I'll get it sorted.

I ran a water station today for a 10k road race our club runs and a sponsee ran it; his first ever. He finished last male finisher and resembled the Ribena Man as he crossed the finishing line, but he was well chuffed with himself. He told me a year ago he wouldn't have dreamed he could run a 10k race; prison or death was more likely; his last drink/drug was last Christmas Eve. Since stopping drinking and drugging he's got stuck into the steps, lost a stone in weight, stopped taking prescription sleeping tablets, stopped smoking and is planning to run a tough trail half-marathon in September. He's just bursting with gratitude for A.A.; it's quite infectious too.

I was really pleased for him today.

[clouds]

I'm starting to do a little slow running around, its really good for shifting a dark mood into a lighter one.

I guess there will be benefits to my health eventually, but for now, the happy power is nice.

[JohnDaniels]

Well I think Jackson Browne said it best

Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
Looking back at the years gone by like so many summer fields
In 65 I was seventeen and running up 101
I don't know where I'm running now, I'm just running on ...

This story has an amusing end to it:
I ran from the time I was a small boy up until I broke my back and both legs on a pipeline job
My wife and I walk a few miles in the evenings now
My son was a very talented distance runner. He and I used to run together when I was working up in Idaho. We lived at 4500 foot elevation. That boy could run all day long and never get tired. I can almost hear the characters outside the barber shop in Forrest Gump saying "That boy SHO is a runnin' foo."
We used to run in Wolverine Canyon up in Idaho. What a beautiful place. I'll see if I can post a pic of it here
He liked running up in the mountains there due to the high 7,000 foot elevation that conditioned him to be such an outstanding runner when he ran at the lower elevations.

After work in the evenings he and I would run 7 miles every night

When we moved down to the southwest my son and I continued to run 7 miles every night in the evenings
Up north the air was cool and clean, oh just to fill our lungs with that cool clean fresh air was really something
But when we moved to a larger city in the southwest the air was polluted.

The first night after we got settled into our new home, my son and I went for a run. We were running down the sidewalk next to heavy traffic on an 8 lane city street with cars flashing by us going 50 or 60 miles an hour.

My son said, "Dad. I smell beans. Someone's cooking beans and they're burning them ... Dad! Did you cheese one? Cheezer Ebenezer this is BAD!!!"

I made an extra effort to take a whiff of air to catch the smell of burnt beans he was talking about. I said "Beans? Son that's not beans, that's the air pollution here!"

There was something about the whole thing that made both of us burst out laughing ... beans. And him asking if I cheesed one. Oh brother, ROTFLM_Cheezer_O!

[Spirit Flower]

I finished a 50 mile race on Saturday. I am amazed at what great shape I was at the end. No aches or issues, just tired. And I am 58 years old. Super.

[Chelle]

Wow Spirit, very impressive! Good job