Including running under the heading of “My Passions” is questionable. I have never been a serious runner, concerning myself with miles run or personal bests. I am a reluctant runner who does it because it helps me stay in shape and provides the best aerobic work-out of all the physical activities I do. Suffice to say, I like how I feel after going for a run.
I didn’t start running seriously until I was 32. I was trying to stay in shape for a lunch-time soccer group to which I belonged and needed the running to try and keep up with the rest of the players. Through work I was able to make a couple running buddies which helped immensely in keeping me running. Having someone to talk to while running–and to make you go running in the first place–is great.
I am a 10-minute miler whether I run one mile or ten. When I lived in DC I had a great route that was 6.3 miles (just over 10K). I could get home from work, run that route, be back home within 65 minutes, and still have time to get in dinner at a decent hour–Downtown Washington, DC is a great place to run because of the Mall and bike/pedestrian paths all over that part of the city. I ran for a bit after moving to New York but late hours, living in a bad neighborhood, and getting stalked one night in Prospect Park put an end to that.
After moving out of the City I began running again and am up to 3.5 miles and close to my old pace. I am still 20+ pounds heavier than when I left DC so I am working on increasing my speed and gradually bumping up the distance so that eventually I can get back to my routine of one-hour 10K runs. I should be there by next Spring or early Summer.
When I move back to the City I am going to become a mid-day runner, using my lunch-hour to run somewhere in lower Manhattan. Maybe I can find a casual running group in Brooklyn that is not all about time and distance. My goal is to run 10K two or three times a week. We’ll see how that works out.
Below are pictures of me (and occasionally some friends) from various races I ran over the years in DC. The GW Parkway Classic in April and the Jingle Bell Run in December were my favorites for the fun and scenery.
GW Parkway Classic – 2004 (10 miles)
Check Out Them Legs (actually, that's the best they have ever looked)
Jingle Bell Run – 2003 (10K)
The Antlers Make Us Go Faster
Alison was my one constant running partner when I was in DC.
We could always count on one another to make the other one
go out for a run even when they didn’t want to go running.
I miss running with her as it was always fun, even if we just
bitched about work while we ran. Although, when it came time
for a race, she was all business. She would take off and leave
me behind, because her pace was a good minute faster than mine.
The Gang Post-Race
