Always a runner…

The brain doesn’t forget those memorable runs. Maybe that’s what keeps us still running after all these years. Back in the days when our weekly goal to accumulate a certain number, be it 50 or 100 miles, we did a lot of running. There was a lot of garbage miles accumulated.

Usually, our schedule dictated where we ran. Working, we usually ran near work at lunchtime and somewhere between work and home for our afternoon run. Traveling was trickier. The changing/showering part was challenging. Out and back was the easiest to compute. Alongside busy roads, down crowded sidewalks, or even laps around hotel parking lots, whatever it took, we got it in. Vacations were always more pleasant. Morning runs got us acclimated to our surroundings, and ready to start a pleasant day sightseeing with the family. Occasionally they weren’t so idyllic, as in one trip to Disneyland. I ran out and back down Harbor Blvd. Seven miles of stoplights and concrete, not too scenic, but I got in the miles. Then there are those that stick in my mind forever. Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and Carmel highlight these memories.

These days, my weekly goal no longer matters. Most vacations are usually run-less. A recent trip to Carmel had me driving a seven mile run I used to run so frequently. It bordered the ocean for most of the run. Just driving the course brought back memories. The sights, sounds, smells triggered how the run felt. I can capture it even now in my mind. There is no reason I can’t recapture this. I know the run will be a lot slower, and may take a bit more effort, but I’ll have no regrets. Like seeing an old friend, I know I’ll see them again, and I’m glad.