Seriously I am running...
by Tony Peters on January 21, 2013
OK maybe running isn't quite the best description especially since I am mostly running/jogging on trails but who would have thought that after 20 years of hating running (and that's an understatement) while in the Navy I am finding trailrunning soo much fun. This all started last fall when I decided that after 4 years the screws in my ankle were still annoying me. Removal isn't an option as recovery from that is a year of minimal exercise/stress which means I couldn't even swim or ride a bike. So the only other choice is to start exercising it. Cycling while great exercise does nothing for the bundle of mixxed up nerves in my lower leg and neither does swimming no impact so the joint doesn't get stressed. I bought a pair of running shoes on a whim and started walking, just me and the dog, not really recording the miles just spending an hour or soo wandering the town. Before Xmas I started to run on the road with the dog which she really liked but my hamstrings and calves were screaming. So on a whim I took the dog out to one of her favorite hikes from when I was learning to walk again 4 years ago and we went for a run there. Well other than the fact that what I thought of as good shape turns out to be mediocre, my legs are much happier, not to mention the dog is ecstatic every time we head out now. There is no question I am slow and trail running is slow going even for a fast person. I got a chance to run this morning with a 2 legged person, an old friend from highschool who runs religiously and was able to match her pace for 2.5 miles of very technical trails. That makes me feel good (though she went out for another lap when I was done), showing her a new place to run was also nice as she admitted that most of her spots are feeling stale. The nice thing about trailrunning is that while the miles are nice its really the time running and the scenery that make it so much fun.
Two Replies to Seriously I am running...
Tony Peters | January 22, 2013
yeah a lot of the places I am now running are places that I used to hike on the weekends so I know them almost as well as my local streets. Once it warms up I will likely see more wildlife, not much out there now. Of course watching my dog run thought the woods is also highly entertaining.
vagabond-punk
The musings of Tony Peters, a perpetual child, no matter where I am I will find a way to climb something or go skateboarding Read more »
Life and complexity
After last semester's overdose in writing I have been enjoying not having to write at all this semester. Well that and most of my school time is spent in an Art studio....it is mentally challenging, for the first time in years I'm drawing...it's Go »Mornings....
It's cool today. As I pull on my jacket, the leather creaks as the zipper closes. The engine, a bit reluctant to turn over in the brisk morning air, settles into a rumble as I finish donning my gear. Go »Yet another funeral
one of the nice things about coming home after nearly 20 years away is that I get to see family the bad part is that the most common place to see family is at a funeral. Unlike last summer the weather was glorious so we have a couple of hundred people come to lay my Uncle Donny to rest. Everything was pretty straight until one of the grandchildren laid a Hot Wheels car of a 68 Chevelle, exactly like the one Donny drove for nearly 40 years, in the grave. Go »more liquid metal
My sculpture Professor decided that the burner we use for melting metal wasn't working out well, since it was designed for a forge and not a furnace he had a furnace burner made.....it used to take hours to melt 20lb of bronze, it took us 40 minutes yesterday. I have never seen the crucible as hot as it was. Go »down 40
I stepped on the scale this morning and it read 195....I have run out of holes on my belt and none of my shorts fit... for the most part this is because I ride this bike 5-6 days a week and I'm eating healthy. Go »
Scott Hardie | January 22, 2013
It's good that you're getting out there and enjoying the trail. I have quite a few runner friends who routinely share photos of the wildlife they spot every weekend morning, so I understand what you mean about the value of the scenery.