Always a runner…

How many of us have had this dream? A house in the woods where we could take off from our front door and run for miles through the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. The trail routes would be unlimited; hills, flats, meadow loops, shade, pine needles…and the list goes on. The only sounds are the wind through the trees, the pitter-patter of our running flats, and the squawks and chirps of the birds.

Quentin Cassidy had the pleasure of having two cabins while training for his two big races. The cabin sat back off the road in the dripping trees like a part of the forest itself, earthy brown, and plain, with a skin of cedar shakes, Yep, that’s for me. I like the North Carolina one a little better than the Florida cabin, but they both sounded ideal.

Of course in my dream, I’d still be running 50 plus miles a week, even at age 60. Every so often, I’d come down from the hills to race before heading back up to my mountain oasis.

The closest I’ve gotten to this vision were vacations to Yosemite National Park when I was in my 30’s. For a week or so, my family would rent a cabin in the valley. I’d be up at dawn exploring the vast network of trails, then out again at dusk for a few more idyllic miles. Occasionally, we stay in Wawona on the southern end of the park. There was a loop that circled the golf course, but back far enough to be secluded. At dawn, and also at dusk the golfers would be gone; their spots taken by dozens of deer grazing. For a week or two, I was Quentin Cassidy, although quite a bit slower, and not nearly as successful. That didn’t matter, I had my cabin, and my mountain trails. Time stood still.

Reality set in. I’m not retired in my cabin. I’m not running 50 mile weeks. I also didn’t envision having to be restricted to running with a partner after having a heart attack.

Thanks to John L. Parker, I am reliving my cabin fantasy once again in “Again to Carthage.” John’s writing puts us right there in the hills, running through the seasons, thankful we are “always a runner.”