[img_assist|nid=257|title=Uncle Freddogg|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=97]
SEASHORE STRIDERS OF SATIRE AND SARDONIC WIT TRACK CLUB
The late comedian George Carlin had a routine where he complained that magazines for morons were proliferating the news stands. There was even one called āWalking,āCarlin said. āOh look Bob, hereās an interesting article, itās called āPutting one foot in front of the other.āā
Running is several steps per second squared faster than walking. It is a natural way to get someplace in a hurry quickly, say tracking down a four legged meal or an ice cream truck or a quick exit from danger like Tiger Woods bolting from a Swedish wife with a 4 iron.
Now the sport of running is not natural under any broad definition of the term. Running for the sole purpose of doing it to see how far you can go and how fast you can get there is like the Talking Heads Album āStop Making Senseā This aināt no party, this aināt no disco, this aināt no fooling aroundā
Running as a sport is scientific; it requires knowledge of physiology, psychology, biology, paleontology and cosmetology for those susceptible to nipple, thigh and butt cheek chafing.
I have trained runners who have set high school records in the distances and many others that became pretty dam good. The key is to educate the runner to train themselves to understand their own bodies, to combine distance and pacing and speed into weekly workouts. And just because a person runs well over a period of years doesnāt mean they should be a coach. Itās possible they understand nothing other than a life long love affair with discomfort.
Some of the psychology behind running beyond the mileage that is beneficial to general health is a hedge fund against a sudden and untimely death and a desire to swim inside ones own pants to look gaunt like someone with an auto immune disease.
Yes of course Iām joking orthopedic surgeons often prescribe excessive running on roads for those aching joints and muscles.
I believe running 50 races and year followed by 50 parties is a heads up that an addictive personality type lives in a neighborhood near you. So why do the numbers of runners keep growing? Why do over 14,000 want to run the New York City Marathon? Why do people crawl from under the warm covers on a blustery cold morning to run a 5k? Why indeed?
I love runners as the guy behind the camera. I love watching them start and love watching them come back. Runners are polite and gracious mostly educated and very conversational. There are training logs and regimens and no logs and no regimentation. Runners are just crazy people thatās all there is to it.