Sal's

Running, Biking, Swimming, Triathlons, Snowshoeing: what's next? Sal's kicks butt.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Just Some Old Guy?

Yesterday I ran on the canal path for just the second time this year. It was a great feeling, like being back with a friend I hadn't seen in quite some time. The ridiculous record snow and cold we had kept the Erie canal trail unusable for most of the winter. The Rochester area has officially had 102 inches of snow. Actually there are flurries outside coming down right now (April 5). I can still see grass though, so that is something good.

I ran nine miles yesterday, my longest run in several months. It felt pretty good and I was able to pick up my pace a bit during the last three miles (the wind at my back helped). This morning I was tired and told Jan I was just going to run three miles. Feeling a bit uncomfortable I headed towards the high school track 1.4 miles from my house, knowing two port-a-johns were there. Just this knowledge helped calm my insides down.

There was a young girl, maybe 20ish, doing 50 yard sprints on the track. I just did laps at a slow pace over and over. I was tired, my legs were tired, I wanted to get in 5 miles at an aerobic pace. It was nice to just run, even on tired legs. On my last lap I went by the girl as she was resting near the bleachers. I heard her say something, talking into her phone, but I couldn't quite make it out. I did my last quarter mile and ran out the gate as another young lady was coming in. I suddenly realized what the girl on the track said, "just some old guy". She was talking about me, someone must have asked her on the phone if anyone else was at the track. Me, "just some old guy"!

Well that certainly didn't make my day. I may be an old guy, okay I am an old guy (58). But hey, I'm probably close to her grandpa's age, I don't see HIM running on an early, cold Sunday morning around the track or village! Let's see if she can run five miles in 35 or 40 years. Yeah. Of course I didn't say that to her, I just kept on running back home, feeling a bit sad inside.

And when I got home I ate two of Jan's fresh baked cinnamon rolls and felt happy again. Sometimes to be happy in life it just takes a cinnamon roll. The heck with that young fast girl!

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