Running With a View

Guess I need to start off with an apology. I procrastinated with my weekly blog last week (just like I'm doing this week,) and the little gremlins in the computer decided to throw a rock into the gears.

The thing I was writing about last week (but failed to be able to publish,) was the Legacy Parkway Trail. The good news is that this week, I didn't really need to think of a topic ;)

It's a great trail if you don't mind gnats and bikers that need to make sure you know they're faster on their bikes then you are on your feet. (Yes, I know this is normally to be polite and to give you warning so that you can move over, but the trail is pretty wide and the bikers are pretty noisy so they're not really sneaking up and going to surprise you.)

Just last week on our run we saw a couple of American coots, a Franklin's gull, some red-winged blackbirds, and a double-crested cormorant. The view of the mountains and plant-life is great, it's so wonderful to look at that you almost forget about the running. There are clear markers starting at the southern most part of the trail with 0 and showing every .5 miles up to the 14 mile marker. As I mentioned earlier, the trail is wide and so makes for very comfortable run even when there is more than the usual activity level.

There are plans to run the trail further south and connecting it with the Jordan River Parkway Trail which would be awesome. Anyways, guess this is just my little post to let you know that if you haven't been there yet, check it out.

Let the Training Begin

Guess we're making it a tradition.

For the third year in a row we've registered to run in the Deseret News Pioneer Day 10K. Technically this is only the second year that I've registered, Michelle ran the first year by herself (and placed 79th in her age group) since I was involved in something else that I don't recall at this time. And, of course, Michelle got sick right before last year's race and so I did that one alone (and placed 97th in my age group, so you can see who the better runner is).

So, here's hoping that 3rd time's the charm and we'll make it down together.

After Years and Years of Running . . .

I had a roommate that was trying to improve his running. He found a book and it listed the four types of runners (or non-runners): Type I - Those that don't have the desire, or the ability; Type II - Those that have the desire, but not the ability; Type III - Those that don't have the desire, but do have the ability; and Type IV - Those that have the desire and the ability.

We were quickly able to ascertain that my roommate trying to kick up his running was a Type II, my other roommate was a Type I, and I was a Type III. The only one we were missing from our group was the elusive Type IV (I would've figured that anyone having the desire to run would be elusive). The only running I really did at the time was in Frisbee games, and I was happy to keep it that way. (Speaking of which, it's getting to be that season again! Anyone know of some groups getting together?)

A short while later I met a girl, turns out that she's the Type IV. Apparently it only took a cute girl to get me into a little running. It's been over three years and 100 miles since I married that girl and to be honest, I'm still not the biggest fan of running (I'd much rather be running for a touch-down), but I keep doing it. Why? Oddly enough there are a number of reasons.

For one, it keeps me in shape for trash kicking in Frisbee (I love being able to out run the teens and twenty-somethings). Another, running actually does keep me in shape. Yet another, there's always great stuff to see when I'm running. In the summer I get to be outside and seeing all the nature around. In the winter I get to watch ESPN while I go a couple of miles on the treadmill. However, probably the biggest reason why I keep running is because it's quality time with that Type IV girl I met a few years back.