Tom and I at the start of the 1999 Cape Cod Marathon. We are minutes away from our first marathon. Thanks for the picture Tom.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Out for a bike ride tonight
12:02 A.M.
I did not grow up a runner. I found myself on a bicycle. When I was 10 years old, or around that time, I road my bicycle alone to places my parents would rather not imagine their odd fourth child riding off to. I knew by the time I was 16 that I could be an athlete, because I could ride my bicycle farther and faster than any one I knew. A friend introduced me to the North East Bicycle Club's weekly critereum at the Hanscom Air Force base in Lincoln, Massachusetts. For the next 8 years riding would be my obsession. This obsession was followed by a three year fascination with Karate, and I never returned to racing. Life takes funny turns, and at 26 I was burned out on Karate, and my knees hurt when I got back on my bicycle. Oh, and I had to be an adult now.
Six years later. I am thirty two years old, over weight, and not sure I can ever get back in shape. I then remember while on a spontaneous run with friends up and down a trail I remember that for a brief period in 1978, when I was 15, I became a runner. I ran for one season indoor track at Newton North High School. My wife said okay to my idea to buy a pair of running shoes and seeing if I could become a runner again.
Eleven more years. I am a 3:09 marathoner. Running is what I am, when I am not with my son and my wife. I have been running two marathons a year since October 2003. You know what I have found out. Getting on a bicycle is still fun. Tonight I chose my 18 year old mountain bike instead of the cool loaner car to go get a quart of milk for tomorrow morning. What a great night it is, and it was felt wonderful to be riding this old bike. Earlier in the day I was out on my racing bike for the first time this year. I dropped my car off to be serviced and made the 10 mile ride home on a racing bike I bought 25 years ago. The plan was to run back, but I wanted to get a few things done around the house today. So I rode back the Toyota dealership (it was not ready, but they produced loaner with out hesitation). Running is what I love, but I really enjoyed my riding today. Wednesday I start a new job with former employer and I will have an 8 mile round trip commute instead of the 50 mile drive that I have made for the last 8 months. I can bike and run to work. Cool.
So runners, my advise: Dust off your bike and do your errands on two wheels instead of four. It is great when you can.
Keep your feet on the road,
Mark
I did not grow up a runner. I found myself on a bicycle. When I was 10 years old, or around that time, I road my bicycle alone to places my parents would rather not imagine their odd fourth child riding off to. I knew by the time I was 16 that I could be an athlete, because I could ride my bicycle farther and faster than any one I knew. A friend introduced me to the North East Bicycle Club's weekly critereum at the Hanscom Air Force base in Lincoln, Massachusetts. For the next 8 years riding would be my obsession. This obsession was followed by a three year fascination with Karate, and I never returned to racing. Life takes funny turns, and at 26 I was burned out on Karate, and my knees hurt when I got back on my bicycle. Oh, and I had to be an adult now.
Six years later. I am thirty two years old, over weight, and not sure I can ever get back in shape. I then remember while on a spontaneous run with friends up and down a trail I remember that for a brief period in 1978, when I was 15, I became a runner. I ran for one season indoor track at Newton North High School. My wife said okay to my idea to buy a pair of running shoes and seeing if I could become a runner again.
Eleven more years. I am a 3:09 marathoner. Running is what I am, when I am not with my son and my wife. I have been running two marathons a year since October 2003. You know what I have found out. Getting on a bicycle is still fun. Tonight I chose my 18 year old mountain bike instead of the cool loaner car to go get a quart of milk for tomorrow morning. What a great night it is, and it was felt wonderful to be riding this old bike. Earlier in the day I was out on my racing bike for the first time this year. I dropped my car off to be serviced and made the 10 mile ride home on a racing bike I bought 25 years ago. The plan was to run back, but I wanted to get a few things done around the house today. So I rode back the Toyota dealership (it was not ready, but they produced loaner with out hesitation). Running is what I love, but I really enjoyed my riding today. Wednesday I start a new job with former employer and I will have an 8 mile round trip commute instead of the 50 mile drive that I have made for the last 8 months. I can bike and run to work. Cool.
So runners, my advise: Dust off your bike and do your errands on two wheels instead of four. It is great when you can.
Keep your feet on the road,
Mark
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)