Fast Sharon

[arguchik]

I had a wonderful run today. I kept it low and slow almost the whole time. I'm still alternating running and walking for a few more weeks yet; but I'm covering about 3.2 miles overall. Anyway, for the last half mile or so I couldn't resist pushing my pace a bit. My legs felt springy and desirous of speed. I couldn't very well deny them altogether, now, could I? It felt good...I was a little worried that "Fast Sharon" might not be in there anymore, that she might have let herself out while I was busy getting too old for this shit. But no, she's still there. She'll just require a more finessed coaxing than she used to, I think.

Mind you, she's not all that fast, objectively speaking. She...I...(whatever) do alright, but I'd never hold a candle to, say, Joan Benoit Samuelson or anything, so I should be clear that I don't mean to imply any such thing. No...by "Fast Sharon," I just mean...the fast version of me, the one who can get a bit of lead out when she's so inclined. The one who likes to be able to, every now and then.

Comments

[rokeya.livejournal.com]

I love reading about your running. It's something I really missed during our period of LJ disconnect as I was switching journals. It's inspiring how aware you are of your body, your limits, and your process. I have friends who are runners who encourage me in their own way in my amateur running habit, but so often they are about miles logged or speed attained. Sure, I run with a pedometer because I like to have some general sense of how far I'm going (part of goal-setting and just being aware of what I'm doing and what X number of miles feels like). But it's not *about* the number of miles for me, or how fast. You're one of the few people I know who seems to feel similarly.

[arguchik.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is definitely how I feel about running. I've always felt that way. It's partly why I seldom do road races--I think I've done maybe 4 in my life, outside of running track in high school. For me, running is a spiritual, reflective practice. I like how you describe your use of a pedometer, so you can see "what X number of miles feels like." Chris describes me as "somatic," which I take to mean that, for me, the physical and the spiritual have always been tightly linked, even while also distinct. I can't separate them; I can't do one kind of practice without also doing the other. When I run, using gadgets or engaging in a competitive road race somehow cuts off the spiritual side of it, and I feel like I'm only engaging in it halfway. I have enjoyed running races in the past--particularly the marathon I ran in 2000--but it isn't *why* I run, and if I were to focus on that, or on the metrics of running (miles logged, etc.) it would take the joy out of it for me.

Thanks for responding to this post--I didn't realize that you felt similarly (though it also doesn't surprise me), and it is pretty rare that I encounter someone who does. It is sometimes hard to explain my way of running to my friends and family; I have a particularly hard time when I go running with someone who is all about the miles, speed, gadgets, racing, etc. For this reason, plus all of the above, I usually prefer to run alone.

[malafrena.livejournal.com]

Yay for running!