Out Running
(Derek, you don't have to read this one)

Do you have one of those "before I die, I've got to..." lists? I don't formally have one, but then again, I guess I do. I used to only have a couple of items on it, including that I wanted to play guitar (check) and I wanted to backpack the Grand Canyon (check). There is only one other thing that I really have on there.

Well, I've decided that it's time to run a marathon. Yes, that's on my list. I've been a runner since I can remember -- I remember as a kid: we'd drive past Maple Crest Middle School and I'd see the running track, the old cinder kind, and I'd want to run on it. I got my wish in 6th grade when I joined the cross country and track teams, and I trained on it for two years, leading up to my Kokomo city record 1600 meter run (5:13 flat).

In high school, some coaches helped diminish my love of running - well, that and divided loyalties, as soccer and cross country shared a season, and you know I'll play soccer 10 times out of 10 rather than just run. I still continued to run some, but it wasn't until Kentucky when I got back into racing. It was my bass-section friends Stan and Sonny who got me excited to run again, and we would race the area 5Ks.

I've been running 5K races since then, usually a couple a year, but I've always wanted to run a marathon. I'm not getting any younger, so this is going to be the year.

Part of marathon training includes running some insane long mileage days. Like 8 to 12 miles. Today was one of those days. I got up bright and early (7:30) and got my stuff together and went out running. My plan was to beat the heat. Yeah, right. Though I didn't check, I'm sure it was already pushing 80. I headed south on 29 to 274 (4 miles) and went west for a mile before turning back north on East Shelby. Then I headed north to NB-NK road, where I headed back home.

The highlight of the run was at about 6.5 miles, there was a lady outside a farmhouse watering the flowers. I asked if I could trouble her for a drink of water. I'm not picky, a swig from the hose would satisfy me. But she went inside and came back with an icy mug, straight from the freezer, full of ice-cold water. It was the best drink I've ever tasted. Second to that would be the water from the pump at Dwain & Brenda's house... (short memory and all; I think the water from Ribbon Falls might have been just as good).

And a good day was had by all.