The semester is in full swing, and I’m finally feeling like I’ve hit my stride with all of the new lesson-planning I have on my plate, and the various other responsibilities that are beginning to add up. I’ve always loved being busy, and feel like I thrive on it, so it’s a wonderful feeling to be getting back to that place again. My training seems to be benefitting from the stricter schedule as well!
Chasing42 Log: 20160304-20160308
Run: The last five days have been a bit of a blur, but there was some fantastic running going on among the chaos! I kept my streak in place on Friday after work, and was able to stretch my legs for my long run the next day. I was up by 3:45AM on Saturday morning, out the door by 4:30, and I thoroughly enjoyed a long trail run all morning. It was the longest I had gone since ATY, and my legs felt great! I followed that up with some hill repeats on Sunday at a faster pace to really push my legs and test my recovery (success!). It was a beautiful afternoon yesterday, so I went out and explored Newark and the paved trail system in town when I finished up with my teaching responsibilities. Today was an even better day, and I had a nice run on the books before my day even began. Spring is just around the corner!
The silent shadows at Winterthur as the sun began to peek through the moonlight!
Thought: What is a runner? I’ve been working with my students on aspects of gender identity, and challenging them to rethink their notions of “man” and “woman” as we begin to unpack these social constructions. This lead me to start thinking about the question “what is a runner?” I often hear customers come into the DRC and preface their needs with “I’m not a runner, but…” or some variation on this theme. They then go on to tell me that they are indeed lacing up their shoes and getting out there, and realized they needed a better pair of shoes to support their new-found hobby. I do my best to point out that if they are out there doing it, then they are indeed a runner. This realization is often met with a shy smile or a giggle of embarrassment. Even in our humble sport, where access is much more open than in many others, we seem to communicate a certain set of characteristics that make one a “runner”. This no doubt turns some people off from the activity all together, and more importantly, sends a dangerous message. Running is many things to many people, but the commonality always seems to be that it is a positive force in everyone’s life. Why would we deny someone this beautifully positive force because they don’t feel like they can identify as a “runner”? Perhaps we all need to start thinking more critically about how we describe our running identities and how we engage others in those discussions, eh? It’s just one more step on the road #chasing42!
