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ENJOY YOUR RUNNING
I don’t get out for a long run all
that often, however with Gold Coast looming I decided to join in
on a group run recently and managed 2hrs without much trouble at
all.
"I aint sharin thus sheep with
anyone"
It was only 15 min into our run
when we came across a runner stretching and I invited him to
join us. It proved to be a beneficial gesture for the next 90
minutes included paying out on Greg because of his “New Zealand”
heritage. I didn’t give Greg too hard a time and in reflection
it has made me realise how running is such a social sport for
here we were chatting away to Greg, a complete stranger, as if
he had been part of the group for years.
The good old ice breaker
I shared a story with the group
about how over the years runners have come up beside me on a run
and to break the ice they would often come out with “So, how
long have you been running for (meaning the run in question)” ?.
To which I would reply in a serious tone “Oh, about twenty years
mate”.
Well you have to pass the time
somehow and it's great to see how people reply, not knowing I
was having a lend of them.
I referred to a guy who had run up
alongside me a couple of years ago and I asked him how long he
had been running for, to which he relied “Oh, about two years”.
The thing is this guy was not trying to be smart, this was just
the way he had interpreted my question. After a while he asked
me if I had anything coming up (meaning races) to which I
replied in my unique way “Yes, I am thinking about going to the
movies this afternoon”.
A zipper sewn into his sock???
The fact that this guy had a
zipper sewn into one of his socks made me aware that he was not
your standard cool dude (though very resourceful) and that
surely he was the one and only runner who would ever come back,
seriously, with the two year line.
Anyway, later in the run we caught a runner who joined in with us for a short
time. As she ran alongside us I could not resist asking her how
long she had been running for. To the complete amusement of the
group came the serious reply “Oh, about a year and a half”. Well
there you go I thought, I have found my sock zipper friend a
soul mate.
Great to have you back Mark
Towards the end of the run one of
the runners outwardly remarked how pleasant it was to be out
running. Mark’s statement had a great deal of relevance though
for he was sidelined from running for the best part of six
months last year whilst recovering from surgery & undergoing
extensive rehab.
I must confess I also did enjoy the
autumn run and we are truly blessed in Brisbane with the ability
to run beside the river for hours on end.
I do get slightly annoyed when I
hear people talk negatively about their running and how it is
often a chore. More often than not these people are doing too
much and running tired or maybe they just need to switch to
another sport. I firmly believe you’re either a runner or your
not, there is no grey.
Enjoy each run as if it were your
last
Mark cherishes his running so much
more now after it was taken away from him. After much toil, he
is back. If you live in constant realisation that your running
can be taken away from you (sorry, but it comes with being
mortal) it may be just enough to ensure you train sensibly
and enjoy each run as if it were your last.
Footnote: Just as a matter
of interest, the next time you are out on a run and joined by
someone, ask them how long they have been running for. Surely
there is not a third one out there!
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