The Loneliest Miles

Dear W,

Does this mean you’re a runner? As in marathons? I’m in awe and would bow down (if my back wasn’t out) to that fait accomplis!  “Though my lungs tell me I can go on forever
My knees argue that this isn’t fair“ this is my thought going up a flight of stairs! Most certainly nowhere near running after EIGHT miles! Still in awe!
Great picture accompanying your write too. H🌷

Thank you, I’ve been running since my teens but as an adult on and off months at a time. In the past I’ve started to train for half marathons only to become injured or other obstacles get in the way. This time around, it’s more health wise, In this social distancing I put on an extra hour 15lbs or so, so it’s a lot harder on the knees. I used to be able to drop weight easily, going down a size or two in a month, but now that I’m older my metabolism isn’t the same. But it is nice to to get out and see the sun rise like that every morning

Loved this read
Used to run cross country in my youth
You bring home the solace well
Congrats on the beautiful loneliness

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Thanks Poet and for the RL. Cross country seemed like a tough sport in high school (endurance wise) many of my friends were in the team while I joined the marching band. Now I think I just appreciate the liberating aspect of it.

the description  and condition along the miles were greatly scripted,
flowed from start to end.

Great write Wally .  

Thank you very much, when there’s music it helps set a pace, but the time’s I’ve gone without it, you can only hear your breathing and your inner dialogue (and any passing cars).

It’s mile 7 for me (on my bike). It’s a transcendental moment where everything comes rushing into the center, and then the push back. Just on the other side of this is why I do it.
Great piece, Wally. Anyone who engages in endurance exercise (or sport) could identify with this. Nicely done.

It is transcendental isn’t it! You feel your stride smoother and your breathing relaxed looking down the road like “we got this”. Years ago (in my 20s) I thought about training for a triathlon, but the bike aspect seemed tougher than the swimming. It’s just a matter of training I guess.

I like this - the mind-and-matter thing, and time to meditate doing a repetitive action, closing out the rest of the world - I like the way an essence of 'the loneliness of the long-distance runner' has been captured.
(for me it's rowing, no longer competitive, just for fitness, but then again there's always competing against oneself which is hard to give up).

Thank you Josh. This a stretch of 2.5 miles (or 4 km) back home where the boulevard is pretty lonely and sealed by (sound) walls surrounding the neighborhoods. So while I can have the toad to myself (or whatever cars speed by) it really doesn’t have as much the beauty of running by the ocean, or mountains. I hear rowing is tough too. But I guess we never stop competing with ourselves.

I use to do a lot of running in my youth. It also came in handy when you were poor and could only afford beater cars always breaking down.

"The signs says – SPEED LIMIT 50
Thinking to myself "hmm, I’m almost there"

Wally, when I read these lines, I actually had a simultaneous interpretation of that being my age and briefly entertained how running now would absolutely kill me.

I've been through some lemons myself in my younger days too.

Most of the streets where I live are 45, 50 or 55 mph, until you pull into residential streets. I figured once I turn 50 in a couple of more years I'll be in better shape, if I keep up the discipline.

It shouldn't kill you, you just gotta start with a little bit.
I've been a glutton for punishment at times, having the mentality I'm still 20 and halfway through the run I realize it wasn't going to happen and I'm far away from home.

I kept up competitive rowing until I was 60 (via the Concept-2 rowing on-line fraternity. Of course I was competing in my age group 50-54, 55-59, and managed to keep in the upper quartile for my age-range).
But then something 'switched' in me and I reckoned pushing myself to the limit was actually detrimental to my overall aim, which is to live healthily as long as possible and not give myself a heart-attack. So since then, modest pacing has taken over, along with yoga to keep myself flexible.
I've also found, though I can't prove it, that "natural water" is important. I've not drunk municipal water with all its fluoride and chlorine and stuff for over 20 years. I've sought out natural springs and clean rivers in the vicinity wherever I've lived, and once a week filled up a load of bottles from there.

You are so right about keeping a well balanced exercise regiment. After a certain time nature tells us to slow down. Glad to know you’re exercising great discipline.

It’s interesting you brought up the matter of water as I have just watched a documentary with an episode dedicated to water and how important natural minerals are. The purified stuff doesn’t do anything to our bodies so I may just need to do some more research of what I need to drink.

The knees.  The curse of the runner.  They give up...you must choose another activity.  I chose swimming.

Yep, I'm coming up to that point. Swimming is much better, and I think a lot tougher (at least for me)...but we have to stay in shape in order to lead more healthy, productive lives.

Swimming is totally worth it: I preach for my parish:  I am a lifelong swimmer. Once you stttle in, it is a drug.  Much luck.