The earth and everything in it

13 Marathons


Over about 24 years or so I ran 13 Marathons. The Saint George 12 times and then the Desert News once. My fastest time was my first at 4:07. Kind of like Golf, my best game ever was my first at about 85 and the good news on that is that it was for 18 holes not 9. Anyway running has had a hold on me for a long time. My friend Jan and I put in many many years logging in more than 1000 miles a year and we did a lot more some years. Maybe we ran around the world together. If he is reading this he can correct me if I am wrong. It is hard looking back to explain how much that time meant and how strong a hold it had on me. I still do anywhere from 8 to 15 miles a week but it isn't as fast and a lot is different. Some of it is walking time with Kathy and that really helps. Our time walking is a favorite time.

Ran 22 miles once to find ourselves erased from the picture

I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this but one time my friend and I ran from the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon where the granite for the Salt Lake Temple was found and taken downtown to the Temple by the early pioneers. We ran with about 20 ladies from the neighborhood. A picture was taken when we arrived at the Temple since it was along the very route that the granite had been hauled by wagons that we ran. The picture hit the paper. My friend and I had been air brushed out. I guess the story ran better being all women.


I found that I could clear my thinking on a long run.



No question about what a runners high is. I feel one coming on just writing this. Running in the hot sun, or rain, or snow or dark all sound good.

This book of poems has Rudyard Kiplings poem "If" in it. I like that poem but as much as anything for capturing one thought. That thought is in the last verse. I will just list that verse here.

IF

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue

Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving freinds can hurt you

If all men count with you, but none too much.

Wtih sixty seconds worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it.

And-which is more- you'll be a Man, my son!