Thursday, July 24, 2008

those who do

first, a few quick facts:

1. had my first GU of the season this morning. yucch. mango: just don't do it.
2. left just before 6, rode from my house to brighton and back, 50 miles.
3. dropped my chain twice and have shifting problems....back to the boys I must go.
4. seemed to be sharing the canyon with an inordinate amount of unfriendly people.

which leads me to today's subject: people who get out there and do things. I love them!
on my way home today I crossed paths with the July 24th Marathon runners. it was at the mile 18 marker I met the path, and I was catching the tail end of the runners. most of the runners were older or heavier, and none were moving too quickly. but they were moving. running. I have this fantasy that I'm a runner, that I can just leave my house in any kind of weather and run, run for miles and miles. it is complete fantasy. I think, perhaps, if I really committed to it, I could teach my body how to run. but for some reason I can't seem to make myself commit.
I have enormous admiration for runners. I want to be one. cycling seems like cheating, as I get to coast sometimes. and I can cover all those miles because often I'm not working that hard. runners, on the other hand, are always working. the best of them float, gliding along the surface, feet connecting with the ground only to bounce them back into the air. they are sleek, smooth, amazing machines.
but I reserve my highest admiration for the ones who struggle. the ones who are sweating and panting and moving at the speed of, well, me. today's runners comprised the elderly, the infirm, the overweight. and they were out there participating in life, challenging themselves, succeeding. these people inspire me much more than a lance armstrong or a tiger woods.
some mornings as I'm riding I see a woman on rollerblades coming down wasatch boulevard. she is middle-aged and not slender, and we exchange grins and hello's while I think about her commitment to health. she is out there, she is moving. and I find that those in her category are often more friendly than those at the more experienced end of the continuum.
so this is my small tribute to those who get out there even if they finish last. DFL is a million times better than not starting at all.

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