What about running do you no longer do that you miss? (Read 1181 times)

I thought about this very question as I stepped outside into the cool evening air last night. Answer #1 hit me right in the face. 1) Running at night. I used to run so much at night. Particularly in HS and college, often during the summer. Nice way to forget the sun in his jealous sky. Fewer cars. Quiet. Cool air. It was awesome. Even if it was 90°, 90° in the dark is a completely different (and tolerable) beast from 90° in the sun. Pretty much a complete no-go for me nowadays because I live on a 3/4 mi street whose only outlet goes into the woods. This is Alabama -- I don't want to get shot at. 2) Running with someone. I run alone now exclusively. I prefer it that way. It's my time. But I do miss those days of running with friends, particularly one of my HS track buddies who was about the same speed as me. Lots of long easy runs with good conversation, as well as those sometimes competitive outings that started out as a routine tempo run and ended up being a 16:50 5k. (At night, no less). 3) Being on a team. I miss being on track and XC teams. Particularly the epic stops at fast food restaurants on the way back from meets, but I miss all of it. 4) Ignoring my body. By this, I mean the fact that when you were young, you could get away with not listening to your body, being stupid, and running with reckless abandon. I miss that. I miss not having to worry about whether I'm gonna strain a hamstring if I try to do a tempo run. 5) Running without worrying about how long it will take and how to fit it in. We all live such busy lives as grown-ups. Sometimes, it would be nice to be able to fit my schedule around running rather the other way around. How 'bout you? What do you miss?

I miss being YOUNG because I used to run faster and longer than I do now.

Don't we all!

That's the best part about starting when you're old and slow and fat ... I could never do at 20 what I'll be doing at 40. Not even close. I had more hair, though.

Hmmm - never thought about it before but it seems that when I first started running there was a freedom that I don't feel as much anymore. I didn't worship at the altar of Garmin or Ironman, a running log or my training plan (heck didn't have such a thing nor even knew they existed) I just ran. I ran in cotton Tshirts and 'sneakers' for chrissakes! I knew nothing about BQ's or marathons. I ran from coast to coast and grew a long beard, me & Bubba were gonna go inta the shrimpin bizness .... OK, little overboard there but still. Good times, good times

-Anchoring the high school 4x400m relay. There's nothing in adult life that remotely resembles it.

Amen to that. I was lead-off in the 4x800m, and even that doesn't remotely resemble anchoring the 4x400. And I know what you mean about doubles and triples. I usually ran the 4x800, 1600, and 3200 at each meet. I never thought this at the time, but now I wish I would have also run the open 800m. Because if I could have conquered my fear of that distance, I'm not sure that there would be much of anything in life that I'd be afraid of.

Spikes on the track and how fast they made you feel. Relays. Leading off the 4 x 400, starting in blocks. Indoor. I loved running fast on those little roller derby tracks in the middle of winter. How loud it was in there. How you could smell the smoke from the starter's gun when you came around after the first lap, and sometimes even the second lap. Winning races. Bus rides with teammates. The antics of the weight men. Running "the Lynnfield." A 10 mile loop with the boys that always ended as a full on hammerfest. The girls track team.

Ours called themselves the "Shemales." They named themselves that, seriously. Picture the WWE only more ridiculous. They also won just about every goddam point available. One of the reasons we never lost a meet.

That's the best part about starting when you're old and slow and fat ... I could never do at 20 what I'll be doing at 40. Not even close. I had more hair, though.

Ditto....even the more hair part. I am still getting faster and better. It rocks. I miss when running was exercise and I still had other extracurricular stuff. Now that I have kids I only have time for so much "me time" and running gets 99.5% of it.