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As appeared in the December 26, 2011, Lansing State Journal and published and at www.lsj.com
by Dick Miles
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Here we are at the end of yet another year, as time rolls relentlessly forward. Having been involved with running for more than three decades, the miles continue to pile up, though not as quickly as in the past. The speed certainly isn't what it used to be, not that I was ever particularly fast. The important point for me, however, is that I still consider myself to be a runner and that running is still enjoyable.
As part of the baby boomer group that sparked the running craze of the early 1980s, I made the fortuitous decision that running would serve as my guide to an active lifestyle, a decision that I have never regretted. I've been places that I never would have gone, seen things I never would have seen and met people I never would have met.
I've had the chance to participate in mega events such as the Boston Marathon that have offered the temporary illusion of being a sports star, and have had experiences that will provide me with stories to tell for the rest of my days.
My first foray into competitive running was the Dexter to Ann Arbor road race on the Saturday before Memorial Day in 1978. In those days, this was a 15-mile race rather than the current half marathon. It was a very hot day with temperatures in the mid-80's, and perhaps a bit long for my first race, but I didn't die, made it to the finish and have been hooked ever since.
Later that year, I ran the inaugural Detroit Free Press Marathon, and am convinced that there are few things more exhilarating than crossing the finish line at the end of your very first 26.2 mile race. As a novice, I ran that race without a watch, and missed qualifying for Boston by just a few seconds.
I did finally make it to Boston in 1992, and remember standing in my corral at the start wondering how my life at the time compared to that of the popular high school athletes that I so much wanted to emulate in my younger days. OK, so maybe I can be a bit self righteous, but at that point I figured I had earned the right.
A variety of settings
Over the years, I've run on beautiful spring days, on crisp fall days, in blizzards, in bitter cold, in searing heat, in pouring rain, through ice storms, and even in the occasional thunderstorm, though I really don't like being out in lightning. I've experienced beautiful scenery such as the Old Mission Peninsula in late May during the Bayshore Marathon and the Detroit skyline at sunrise from the Windsor side of the Detroit River while running the Free Press Marathon.
I've run during all hours of the day, including middle of the night runs during the 24-hour relay races that I have participated in. One run in particular stands out in my mind at the Hood to Coast Relay in Oregon in 2008. It was a five-mile leg in a light fog along a gently rolling road just outside of Portland heading into the Coast Range. The night was pitch dark except for my head lamp and the lights on vehicles that occasionally passed by. For quite a ways, the road paralleled a railroad track, and I could hear a train whistling behind me off in the distance, but getting closer and closer and finally passing by me. The train was nothing out of the ordinary, but for some reason on that particular night, it added drama to an already mystical experience. It was one of those rare occasions when I felt better and better as the run progressed, and didn't want to stop at the end when I had to tag off to my teammate.
Also over the years, I have experienced many beautiful runs through the Michigan State University campus. Better still, I have learned to love the Lansing River Trail and continue to sing the praises of those with enough foresight to develop this marvelous resource and to expand it into areas such as Scott Woods and Hawk Island Park.
Indeed, I consider myself very fortunate to have made running a part of my life. It's helped me to stay healthy and of reasonably sound in mind.
Happy New Year to all of you runners and runner wonnabe's out there. Whether you're running ultras, regular marathons, trails, 5Ks, relays, or just getting started in this great sport, may 2012 bring you many happy miles. |
