It really makes me mad when I hear that. Yes you could.
The other day I head that dreaded line from a runner who didn't go out for a regular run because it was too hot. Excuse piled on excuse but I only heard the first one before I tuned out. I wish I had seen the photo below in order to respond.
Life is not a dress rehearsal. This is the show: Acts I, II and III. We don't know when it ends and can't be sure if there's an encore. Get running...or living, or loving...just get moving.
As I sit here on the back deck this Saturday morning enjoying what we call ‘a perfect Wasaga morning’… cool temperature, sun breaking the horizon on a cloudless sky…my thoughts turn to…beer!I know how that that sounds but recently I have enjoyed a renewed interest in beer.And not the stuff of my youth, but craft beer from a range of excellent craft breweries operating in Ontario.My favorites include Red Stripe, Hockley Valley, Steam Whistle, and my new favorite Waterloo Dark from Brick Brewery in Kitchener/Waterloo.
Red Stripe at the end of the Reggae Marathon. While this is not from a craft brewer in Ontario, it deserves special mention. At the conclusion of the Reggae Marathon, iimmediately after the fresh cut coconut, the cold Red Stripe goes down really well.And since the race starts at 5:15 am, this is an early morning beer.And it tastes really good!Hockley Valley does a really good job with a 3 pack:Dark, Black and Tan and Stout.Not too heavy for drinking even in the warm summer months.Steam Whistle Pilsner.While I prefer the darker beers, my friend Josh introduced me to the light, refreshing taste of the Pilsner.Nice beer but a little too light for me.And last but not least, Waterloo Dark from Brick Brewery.A nice dark beer without the heavy taste.Drinkable all year even in the summer when I have been enjoying it most. And it goes down nicely after a long, hot run.
What does beer have to do with running?Nothing actually:I love beer and I love running.
Only 47 years to go and I want to be running every day to get there.
If I do live to be 100 the one thing that will keep me motivated is a beach at sunset. Walking barefoot on the sand and wading into the shallow, warm water is on my highlight reel. Sally, Tia and I enjoyed that yesterday at the end of a glorious day in Southern Georgian Bay that started with my early morning along this stretch of Wasaga Beach.
I grew up in Jamaica and the most memorable experiences happened on the beach. Dunns River Falls, Discovery Bay and especially Negril. Now Negril was a special treat. It was over a 4 hour hard drive to get there from our home outside of Kingston but it was worth it. The miles of white sand beach with the warm, shallow water were the best!
Driving north from Toronto to Wasaga Beach stimulates similar feelings. It may seem strange to compare Negril to Wasaga Beach, but they are so similar that they beg comparison. Both curve along miles of white sand and both have spectacular sunsets. I'm fortunate to be able to enjoy both each year: Negril in December for the Reggae Marathon and Wasaga Beach the rest of the year.
If I do live to be 100 I the next 47 years will include time well spent walking and running on the beach.
Running barefoot on pavement? It sounds crazy doesn't it. I did it last week and survived.
As you may know, I've been recovering from a nasty, nagging plantar fasciitis injury in my right foot since last August. I haven't run regularly since after the Reggae Marathon last December.
Recently though I've tried a combination of barefoot and running shoes (Puma Faas 500) that has allowed me to run relatively pain-free. For the first time last Sunday I completed my first run entirely barefoot...and it was, well, good! While I won't go all the way and run barefoot all the time and in every circumstance, I am now firmly on the side of minimalist running shoes.
Thanks to George Colombo of Natural Stride Running and Dan Cumming of Running in the Zone for their support. Dan sent me this video that shows barefoot runner Mark Cucuzzella 'pounding the pavement'.
