I hope you enjoy reading about almost 50 years of running life from a middle-of-the-pack runner.
Two different people one with all of his life ahead of him and the other looking back on the life that was lived – the one constant through it all was – running. It has been a part of who I am all this time.
In this series, you will find my recollections and honest reflections about parts of my life as that “crazy guy” my family, friends, and neighbors have seen out running.
The links below are chapters in my life.
1971 — Cross Country-What in the Hell Was That
The Not-So Glory Days — High School 1971-1975
1975 – 1977 — Running While On the Buoy Tenders
1977 to May 1979 — Cape Cod and Bat Out of Hell
1979 to 1982 — Running in St. Ignace
1982 to 1984 — Running While Living in Washington, DC Area
Memories of the 1983 Marine Corps Marathon
1984-1988 — New London and Meeting Some Greats
1988-2000 — The Lost Running Years
2008 to 2011 — Too Damn Many Injuries
2011 to 2015 — Life After Teaching
2019 – A Year of Loss and Change
2020 — Running in 2020 – Quite the Year
2021 — Being lived and will be written later I am sure.
Each time that I update this series I learn a little more about myself, remember things that I had forgotten and have a chance to reflect on my life as a runner and beyond. All the good, bad, and even the ugly experiences have made me who I am.
It still doesn’t seem possible that I started running over almost 50 years ago and while the reasons for my running have changed several times over all those years, I think that the two statements below have held true through all the years:
I enjoy the challenges that running provides me.
There is always something new or different about each and every run, while you can run the same route, no run is ever the same.
The other one and may be more important in many ways.
I don’t have to run, I get to run.
If you are a runner you understand the difference and when it comes right down to it, maybe that is the true definition of who is a runner. I am very fortunate after all these years and the abuse my body has taken from all my misadventures that I still get to run.
Looking back, I can’t imagine how different my life would have been without running being a part of it.
Let’s just hope that the next 50 years of running are even better :-).
Yes, that means that I still plan to be running when I am 113 years old – we will see. 🙂
Harold's Blog 