Tags
This is not a post by that guy who wrote a sappy and very marketable novel that was made into a movie and probably made him a gazillionaire in the process. No, my sad notebook is my running log and it’s in a bad way.
The last running entry was on August 5th – 4.3 miles. No time recorded, no weather notes, no reaction to the run. Just the facts m’am. That was the last day I ran before Lefty got hauled in for a scheduled arthroscopic overhaul. One month ago.
The notebook lives in a bookcase near my bed. Throughout my convalescence I have often looked over at it and thumbed back through my recent and not so recent running history.
February 2, 2014, Groundhog Day. 3.6 miles, 37:22. Warm sun, cool air, ground covered with patches of snow.
Monday, September 30, 2013. Nine miles – felt strong all the way.
11/29/09 – 60 degrees, 6.2 miles. Enjoyed working up a sweat.
10/4/08 – Half Marathon in 2:06. Felt good, great pace – had alot left at the end.
And on and on. The notebook itself is not one of those fancy store bought official running logs. It’s a spiral notebook I fished out of the trash after my daughter left for college a couple of years ago.
It still has her notes about ee cummings, Hamlet, Gertrude and Ophelia. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say it was from English class.
During this month of neglect as a running chronicle it has morphed into a place for me to make to do lists,( paint the porch ceiling), a packing list for next weekend’s camping and guitar/folk music trip, supermarket shopping lists and sketchy drafts for the blog The notebook is sad. But we’re about to turn that frown upside down.
I see a return to the roads in my immediate future once Lefty gets a clean bill of health. Lefty, for all you latecomers is my left knee. Stay tuned, Righty wants to get back to work.
Ophelia – now there’s is a name that you don’t really see much in current rotation. EXCEPT in this great performance by the late, great Levon Helm. He was 69 years old when this was recorded.
Note the standard drum kit, no flashing lights, no pyro, no smoke, no fog, no elevators, nothing but great musicians and great music. The good stuff holds it own. The good stuff holds up. How about that Levon smile?
Still many blank pages in the sad running notebook. Plenty of time and lots of miles left to run to fill in the empty spaces. Let’s turn those miles into smiles.
Ugh, I can’t believe I just wrote that, saved it and then hit publish. Maybe there is a major motion picture in my future. I hope so. I hear a gazillion dollars goes a long way these days.
pscapp 
My commitment to my first marathon and the requisite training is on hold after falling (damn dog) and fracturing my shoulder two days after my last half and one week after joining a running group with professional trainers. Yeah my running log is a mess and so am I. I feel your pain.
Are you using it for your grocery list ?
I wish I had the foresight to use it for a grocery list. I will tell you that you inspired me to get on the stationary bike. Thank you.
Not even enough energy for that.
Okay, not only do I log my running mileage, I log hiking, walking, cycling mileage too. This year’s numbers are way down compared to other years, trying not to sweat it. This year’s log book is also spiral notebook. Glad I’m not alone, hope you’ll be logging those miles again soon!