OT: ANY RUNNERS OUT THERE?

[Me Loves Heresy's]

I just got thru running my second 5 K with my mom![sn]

I won my 2nd sivler medal in my age group.[H]

School has been really busy and have not been able to post for a while.[]

Any cool running stories out there?[*-)]

PC

[Guest Anonymous]

Does running to the dinner table count?

[capo72]

It's cool that you are starting young. I used to run in high school and shortly after, but that's been 15 years. My wife runs and has done the Chicago Marathon the last two years. It has almost inspired me to start again. It's a great way to get into shape and lose some extra weight. Good luck and keep it up.

Jeremy

[WMcD]

I used to jog. The apartment was four miles north of the Loop (work) and so jogging home made a lot of sense. The reward was to stop at a pizza place, chat with the waitresses, and undo the good.

I remeber the mishaps.

You might know there is a nice path up the lakefront between Lakeshore Drive and the water. In a way it is isolated because there is no where to go but farther north or south to a crossover or cross-under. These are placed about every mile. Even so, up north they just get you into parkland.

On summer night there were storms out over the lake. The lighning strikes out there and between clouds were very beautiful. I happened to notice no one else was around. Everyone else had better sense.

Eventually a big cell hit my area. Raindrops bouncing four inches, very heavy rain, intense wind, etc. It was the worse weather I'd ever been out in. Cold too. I started worrying for my safety. I felt like the Edmond Fitzgerald. This was at the North Avenue Bridge, if anyone want to know.

I eventually got home. No pizza that night. The killer was that my favorite jogging shoes never dried properly and developed some awful mold or fungus. Smelly. Soaking them for a week in a bleach solution didn't help.

- - -

The next winter was another adventure. In March there was still ice and snow on the lakefront but a well beaten path was clear. At 1:00 p.m I kinda shuffled down a ramp which was icy. This was at the chess pavilion. Falling backwards I broke my fall with my right hand and broke my wrist. I heard it snap. The hand was at an impossible angle. It was not painful, just then.

I walked about a mile to Northwestern's emergency room. There were many truely critical cases ahead of me. There was an unfortunate incident where I was left in "Chinese handcuff" traction while the resident was distracted by another case. I took myself out. The resident was not happy. I was about ready to tell him to run such clinical trials on the chief of staff, instead of me. But I held my tongue.

I didn't get out 'til nightfall. The cast went from fingers to armpit. Then that night the hand started swelling and throbbing. I took the CTA bus back to Northwestern and they cracked it open a bit. I got out just in time because there was a hotel fire and casualties were just coming in. Otherwise, I'd be there for a day, waiting.

I got a ribbing from friends that I must have actually fallen after leaving a drinking establishment. Grrr.

Writing was impossible. I used the trusty HP-200 Palmtop to take notes at meetings, lefthanded. A really good workaround. I recommend this to the disabled.

Now I do stairmaster and treadmill. I'm real careful of ice when outdoors.

Sears Tower tomorrow. 103 floors!

Gil

[dtel]

I just got thru running my second 5 K with my mom![sn]

I won my 2nd sivler medal in my age group.[H]

School has been really busy and have not been able to post for a while.[]

Any cool running stories out there?[*-)]

PC

Congratulations to you and your Mom, I only run if a big dog is chasing me !

[capo72]

Hey Gil, one of my wife's running mates is doing the Sears Tower run tomarrow also. It must be a mad house in there. I can't imagine! Good luck to all at the tower tomarrow!

Jeremy

[WMcD]

BRING YOUR FAMILY TO THE TURKEY TROT (WALKING) IN YOUR CITY. (Sorry about shouting.)

- - -

Let me chat up a related event and encourage everyone here to "do it, to it". Sometimes runners in the family are out on their own, engaged in the sport, and folks at home are in the other world. They are not runners. "The lonelyness of the long distance runner."

Just about every city in the USA has a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. These have alternate walking events which cover typically three miles. An event for charity. All the carnival spark of a running event, except ordinary people can do it.

My extended family and I did this in Dallas last year. Great fun. Bring the dog (dogs are often dressed up) and the kids. Just about anyone can walk three miles. I don't know about cats and birds.

Thanksgiving can have a lot of slack time and without any kickoff. Most of the afternoon is waiting for the turkey an watching football. A given Turkey Trot gets everyone together, early in the day. And it creates foder for conversation.

Gil

[WMcD]

Slow, but I made it.

[Marvel]

Gil,

That's great! We have a Gobbler Walk here in Chattanooga, that funds our food bank (I think). It is a great time and forces you to get up early on Thanksgiving Day, for a good cause.

Bruce

[Amy]

Does running after a 2-year-old count? I did some serious sprints in the grocery store this past weekend.

I do admire runners. I have miserable knees (not to mention am somewhat lazy with a short attention span) so I could never get into it, but it seems to take a great deal of discipline and stamina. Kudos to you!

[Indyjeep]

I used to run a lot back in High School for Track and Cross Country. Oh do I miss those days.....now I would be lucky to get the time to run....work and school and this stupid thing called sleep.....But I do miss the friendship that develops between runners...a kinda respect....