Bucket lists, Bunnies, Bad Weather, Blues Run  

August 3, 2013

I woke this morning at 7:15 AM before the alarm and could not get back to sleep.  I had a dream of performing solo at the annual Lebanon Blues Festival.  Slide guitar blues licks, a distorted harmonica hum, raspy lyrics and themes tumbled out of my head until I decided that sleep was lost to me.  I got up and quickly jotted down the lyrics and chords for a song that was still on the periphery of my memory.

I quickly got dressed for the Blues Run and packed for a swim and shower afterward at the YMCA.  The 5k run walk (I would assuredly do the latter) was my first and an important step on my quest to get rid of my man-boobs.  I also wanted to be able to mark this off my bucket list.  When I opened the door, I saw that it was raining.  Undaunted, and with no change to my attire, I headed out.

I knew this would not be a competitive run for me, so I had intended to insert myself after the others set out and not officially join the run.  My reasoning was that I didn't want to pay $25 for a t-shirt I knew would be too big on me in a short time, nor did I desire to make a public spectacle of myself by being "that guy" who came in last.  I am not competitive, but I compete with myself- telling my body to do things it doesn't want to do.

I found had studied the course and so I went to the Golden Lamb in downtown Lebanon.  It is a historic inn and the starting point of the race.  I saw no one else around.  It was then I noticed a sign in the square advertising the race.  It was to start at 7... PM.  WHO STARTS A RACE AT NIGHT?!?  As I stood there in the rain wondering how I missed that detail, a wonderful idea came to me.  I was ready to go, motivated and the course was mine alone.  With a smile, I touched the historical marker in front of the Golden Lamb and set off. I did a brisk walk with no breaks and finished in an unspectacular time, soaked to the skin.  As I leaned against that same historical marker, I made a few observations.  Walking in the rain was actually quite refreshing.  Wearing cotton was not such a smart idea.   When your shoes are wet you learn otherwise undetectable things about your stride and your technique.  I counted 26 bunnies on the trail (some would consider that an infestation).  The litter along the path is heartbreaking and my mind resolved to revisit pushing for a bottle bill for Ohio.  Personal accomplishments are just as enjoyable when no one is watching.  

Honestly, I have never liked running.  I probably never will.  I am flat-footed, not terribly graceful.  It is one of those things I tried and never worked on and decided I didn't like, sort of like Algebra.  Very little effort equals very low results and a decision that it was not for me.  Running around those sorts of obstacles can be detrimental for a lifetime.  I discovered that often we like or are encouraged to do things that we really aren't any good at- we go after those things and sometimes even become good at them after a while.  Then there are the running and Algebra that we try a few times and simply decide we are not any good.  As if Eddie Van Halen picked up a guitar and played "Eruption" on his first go or Hank Aaron hit every pitch out of the park.

I am satisfied that it is off my bucket list.  A personal best for me today.