My Running Routine

Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
Mark Twain

I have been missing in action for a few weeks. Our lives have been devoted to helping Grandma move to a new assisted living location. A part of that involved canceling existing phone, cable television and other accounts and advising social security of her new address. Despite approximately five hours of effort, the social security records change is not done. I have about twenty hours of effort involved in utilizing the time-saving automated services of these companies, nine hours of which was involved in the effort to acquire a telephone service from Frontier. But all of this is another blog.

Today I want to talk about running. Now at my age the term “running” may seem a bit generous when one sees or hears about my efforts. But I do attempt to keep up with my own version of the activity. With all the difficulties we have had this summer and the recent move I am sorry to report that my normal running routines have been interrupted. But I was able to run yesterday, and the run reminded me of all the joy and pain associated with this hobby. It occurred to me that my routine involves the same thought patterns. This writing attempts to capture some of those thoughts.

Running Day Minus Three
• I just ran yesterday. I must be in decent shape.
• I will go ahead and eat the candy bar that Janice bought for herself.

Running Day Minus Two
• I should not have eaten so much yesterday. The extra weight will make it hard for me to run when I resume.

Running Day Minus One
• I really should run today.
• If I don’t keep at this, I will turn into a gelatinous blob of blubber and be an embarrassment to my wife and children when I collapse of terminal obesity.
• I will really give her heck tomorrow.

Running Day Minus Thirty Minutes
• I really could wait until tomorrow. It looks pretty cold (or hot) outside. Did I just see lightening? I’m sure the weather will be better tomorrow.
• And what would I wear? Do I really have the right shirt/pants/socks/hat for today? Maybe I should wait for better equipment.
• There are higher priority items on my do list. Janice must have something that she wants me to do that is more important.
• Well, I told Janice yesterday I was going to run today and if I don’t, I will seem weak and unmotivated. I know, I will at least start. I don’t have to run the whole three miles. I will just start and see how it goes. I can always walk for a ways and turn around if I need to.
• I will walk to begin with, I don’t need to start running until I reach Mead Court.

Running Day
• My two-block walking start is done. Why did I eat so much yesterday?
• This feels like I have never run before in my life.
• Do I always gasp like this when I start?
• My knee is kind of barking.
• Wait a minute, this isn’t so bad. Once my breathing starts to even out, this is better. I think I can go a mile.
• My knee actually is not hurting so bad.
• The trees and pond are gorgeous today. Wow it is a great morning for a run.
• I love this part of my route. I am feeling better all the time. I think I can easily run the mile, what the heck let’s do two.
• I am going a bit faster now and you know, I remember why I love this running thing.
• I am feeling even BETTER now. In fact, I feel like I could run FOREVER!! Well at least for sure I need to do the regular three-mile route.
• I have run this route thousands of times, but I don’t remember this hill being quite this steep. I don’t think I can run forever; I will just finish the three miles.
• Where the heck did this other hill come from? I need to slow down a bit to make sure I finish strong.
• Maybe I need to walk a while. No, only wimps do that. Push through it and get ‘er done.
• I could cut off here and save a half mile. NOOOO, only wimps do that. You can make it.
• Was this REALLY a good idea?
• This was a bad idea.
• Home is in sight. I think I am going to make it.
• I made it. I AM a stud. I’m feeling groovy (although a bit tired). I need to check my time.
• What the hell? I’m calling Apple, this run COULDN’T have taken FORTY MINUTES!! The clock on this new iPhone must be inaccurate.
• I must run more or less.

Running Day Plus One – Rinse and Repeat