Global Running Day

Today is Global Running Day. 1,028,979 people in 178 countries (as of this morning) have pledged to run today. I am one of them. And I don’t feel like running. I’m sore from yesterday’s strength training (shoulders, back & legs) and I didn’t get enough sleep last night. But one thing I’ve learned in 10 years of running is that the most important run is the one you don’t want to do. Consistency is the key to successful running, and it just takes one lapse in determination to send a solid training plan into a downward spiral. So here I go…

(40 minutes later)

Many non-runners tell me they think running is boring. Not true. Today’s run proves my point. I was 2.4 miles into my 3 mile run when I saw a large pickup truck blocking the sidewalk. My normal response would be to move on to the the street to go around it, but this morning there were several cars parked in the street and quite a few cars passing by, so I opted to run across the lawn of the house where the truck was parked. As I approached the vehicle I saw a dog laying in the grass to my left. What I did not see was the line running from the dog’s collar to the trailer hitch on the truck. I felt it hit my ankles too late and in a split second was face down on the grass.

I got up and saw the owner of the truck, who had been working on the house, standing there apologizing profusely. I wanted to be mad, but the guy obviously felt so bad I really didn’t need to tell him what I was thinking. He knew. So I accepted his apology, wished him a good day, and resumed my run. I was almost home when I realized something interesting. A nagging pain in my lower back that had been radiating down my right leg was gone. I felt great. I’ll be heading out to work in a few minutes. Maybe I should go see the guy with the dog tied to his truck and tell him thanks.