So I had a birthday last week. Since we are all bored stuck at home and looking for meaning in our lives, I tried to think of a birthday run. 58 miles? No chance. 58KM? Still way too long. 5.8 miles? Nah, too boring. 58 laps on the track? That would be 14.5 miles and possible, but challenging. But all the tracks are closed, so forget that.
So then I thought an appropriate challenge during these "Stay-at-home" times would be to do 58 lengths of my block. I would never get more than 200 yards from my front door. Garmin measured it out as .12 miles, so 58 back and forths would be about 7.2 miles. Easy peasy.
I figured I could spend each block reflecting on that year in my life. About one minute per lap to think about what happened during that year. Then I texted the boy about the plan and said he could join in on lap 31 and run the rest of the way. Or Do 8 laps with me, and then 10 laps where he only does half a lap, and then he can take off. I told the wife she could join in at 41 and do the last 17 laps with me. I did not invite the ex to do laps 25-39 with me...
Shockingly, the boy agreed to join in. And the wife said she would give it a try. So the plan was on.
I went out about 10AM and walked to the end of the block and got started. It was just me going up and down my block. I picked a manhole cover to be my turnaround cone at one end (a dead-end), and the stop sign line on the other end. Only a few neighbors were out and they may have wondered why I kept going by, but didn't say anything. I cruised through my childhood...
5: Kindergarten...
6: 1st grade, OK not much to reflect on yet...
8: Spent a year in England while Dad was relocated. Got to travel in Europe. Go to English schools. Quite the adventure!
9: Back to Minnesota. Started liking girls...
11: Spent a year in Northern California.
12: Back to Minnesota again. Junior High.
13: Ran 8th grade cross country and launched an obsession.
15: Run all summer. First road race (5 miles, 34:30). Start high school.
16: First kiss
18: Graduate. First true love. First marathon. Go to Stanford. Set many PRs that still stand. Quite a year!
19: Discover alcohol and weed
22: Graduate and move to So Cal
23: The year of living dangerously.
24: The year of the crazy ex-girlfriend
25: Second true love. Get engaged.
26: Marriage
So I'm running alone this whole time. The boy said he would come over but has yet to show. Wife still inside. The running is easy. The street is a little U-shaped so that there is a little down hill and up hill each direction. It's actually pretty nice. By the time you notice the uphill, you can turn around and cruise down. I get to 30 and take a little walk break hoping the boy shows up. Wife happens to come out so she checks on him and says he is on his way. So I keep going.
28: 2nd marathon
29: Buy a house
31: Have a baby!
32-36: Baby jogger years
As I run 34 the boy shows up. He jumps out of the car and joins me. With bandanna.
He's not in running shape, so I drop the pace a little and we jog and chat. Now the wife and dogs have come out to watch and she alerts the neighbors about the whole thing and soon I have people cheering us as we go by each lap. It's pretty fun actually. People need something to cheer for. I attached a video, but not sure if it works here.
So I keep going. Not so much reflecting, but the laps roll on.
39: Divorce
40: Unemployment
41: Rebirth - A new job and true love #3.
43: Another wedding!
The boy drops after two miles and cheers from the side. The wife runs a few laps with me. Or partial laps. The dogs are included. It's a party. The neighbors stay until the end. Because what else do they have to do?
47: Join the Loop and kickstart the 2nd major phase of my running career.
51:1st Boston
53: Layoff...er...Retirement!
57: 19th marathon
The boy joins in for the last lap and I kick it in and drop a BP.
Good fun. Later we celebrate with a Corona.
Life is good.
(see video link below)
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