Training for the Big One


As I train for the marathon, I have been started multi-tasking. I spend my running time in prayer and meditation. No, I didn't say medication. And I don't pray with my eyes shut, either. I try to stay focused on running, listening prayer, and watching out for cars (the drivers of which are almost always extremely polite and give me plenty of space, which I reward with a nice wave and an attempt at a smile), and doing so, I get into a zone.

Someone from church came up to me one Sunday morning when I was preparing for worship and told me he had "a bone to pick with me." I knew he wouldn't let up until I heard him out, so I stopped what I was doing to listen to his rant. Actually he had "two bones" -- one was that I didn't wear "bright enough" clothes when I ran and the other was that I didn't wave at him when he passed me, and "people here wave at each other when we pass."

I thought he might have been talking about the foggy day, but he wasn't. He complained that he couldn't see me one morning because I wasn't wearing "bright enough clothes." That might be an issue later in the fall, when it gets dark earlier, but it was daylight. He probably was having difficulty because of the sun. In which case, bright clothing isn't going to help; I don't have much in my wardrobe that will outshine the sun. Yet.

As for not waving, I don't wave at people who don't give me any space. At least I don't take Ricke's advice to carry golf balls with which to pelt the cars of "jealous rednecks" (his words) who don't give us room.

But anyway, maybe if he looks out for runners, we will wave at him.

But then again, maybe we're in deep prayer. Or using every available unit of energy keeping moving. Whatever.

PS. My "8 mile" run yesterday was actually 9.5 according to gmaps pedometer. I thought you'd like that, Derek.