Shift to Biking
I live to run. My wife used to call me Forrest, I ran so much. Wherever we drove in Northern Virginia, I could almost always say, "I ran there." Sometimes my wife would joke, "did you run there?" pointing at some obscure place like Roosevelt Island and I would laugh, "as a matter a fact, I did run there!"
Perhaps it's because I've never been injured running. Even during a span of five years where I averaged almost 40 miles a week, I never had so much as a blister. Not even during two marathons. No blisters. No injuries. I'm not fast, but my cadence is smooth and my feet rugged. I just love to run.
Or should I say, loved to run. For the first time in my life, I went running and thought, "I wish I was biking." I nearly stopped in my tracks and stutter-stepped just to keep going. Did I just think that? No! Yes. Oh no! I did think it!
It wasn't particulary cold this morning, nor was I too tired to run. I got almost 8 hours sleep last night, 3 more than my usual 5. I was even wearing my favorite running shirt. What's wrong with me?
Something has changed. The person who loved the purity of running, the no preparation necessary to run, the no special equipment necessary to run, the just me and the road idea of running is not the same. I used to dread cycling. Special shorts. Pump up the tires. Put on a helmet. Hope the brakes don't rub or the chain pops off. Oh yeah, and when you're through, wipe it down and oil the chain. Ugghhh!
But no, that's not all that bad anymore. Sometimes when I'm riding I think of all the ways I can take care of my bike, my first road bike, my baby. I find myself spending alot of time in the shed after a ride, tweaking this and fiddling with that and wondering if I should I adjust my seat height as my pedalling has moved more from toe down to heel down. Could this new love of tinkering be growing from my success at a couple of minor repairs to my 116k mile car? Am I becoming mechanical?
It's almost too much to process. Out of respect to my 18+ years of injury-free running, I need to end this post, this unfaithful entry to running. I love running... I love running... I will say it until the feeling comes back... I love running... I love running...
Perhaps it's because I've never been injured running. Even during a span of five years where I averaged almost 40 miles a week, I never had so much as a blister. Not even during two marathons. No blisters. No injuries. I'm not fast, but my cadence is smooth and my feet rugged. I just love to run.
Or should I say, loved to run. For the first time in my life, I went running and thought, "I wish I was biking." I nearly stopped in my tracks and stutter-stepped just to keep going. Did I just think that? No! Yes. Oh no! I did think it!
It wasn't particulary cold this morning, nor was I too tired to run. I got almost 8 hours sleep last night, 3 more than my usual 5. I was even wearing my favorite running shirt. What's wrong with me?
Something has changed. The person who loved the purity of running, the no preparation necessary to run, the no special equipment necessary to run, the just me and the road idea of running is not the same. I used to dread cycling. Special shorts. Pump up the tires. Put on a helmet. Hope the brakes don't rub or the chain pops off. Oh yeah, and when you're through, wipe it down and oil the chain. Ugghhh!
But no, that's not all that bad anymore. Sometimes when I'm riding I think of all the ways I can take care of my bike, my first road bike, my baby. I find myself spending alot of time in the shed after a ride, tweaking this and fiddling with that and wondering if I should I adjust my seat height as my pedalling has moved more from toe down to heel down. Could this new love of tinkering be growing from my success at a couple of minor repairs to my 116k mile car? Am I becoming mechanical?
It's almost too much to process. Out of respect to my 18+ years of injury-free running, I need to end this post, this unfaithful entry to running. I love running... I love running... I will say it until the feeling comes back... I love running... I love running...
posted by TriDaddy at 7:03 PM
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