Ramblings on Running and Runners

Running.

I don't think I can quite call myself a "runner" but a "walker" sounds slightly lame ;)

And the truth is I do both.

It all depends on my mood... and the humidity.

I have a love/hate relationship with running. Often in the heat, I hate it so it has been difficult to get runs in this summer.

Generally in the hotter months, I prefer to bike - that way you get built in AC :)

However, now that I have moved back to Charleston, I am afraid to bike: I am fairly certain I would die in the traffic so biking is too much of a risk.

Plus, I no longer have access to a gym. I used to visit the on-campus gym for free but now that I'm out of college and paying my own bills, I haven't broken down to pay for a gym membership... yet.

This left running as my best option.

It's just that love/hate thing that I was going to try to explain  UNTIL I found this that captured precisely what I wanted to say.

So, in this post, I decided to try to motivate myself - and hopefully even some of you - by sharing about 3 AWESOME runners.

1. Derek Redmond - Check out this inspiring example of perseverance from the 1992 Olympics...

A play by play is described here and it is awesome to hear about how Derek Redmond just didn't give up. Humidity can stop me but a popped hamstring didn't stop this guy.

His story was so inspiring that it even made it into a country song ;) Or that is what I choose to believe when  I saw Garth Brook's "Standing Outside the Fire" that was released a year after Redmond's race:

2. Dick Hoyt - the dad that runs for his son

Known as Team Hoyt, this father/son running duo is incredible.

3. Oscar Pistorius - aka Blade Runner banned from the Olympics

This guy's story is perhaps the most impressive. He has NO legs. But he still runs.

He lost his legs at a young age but learned to run using metal legs. He was trying out for the Olympics when they decided to ban him for an "unfair advantage"!?! No lie.

This story was so ridiculous that even comedian Katt Williams had to capitalize on it. Please excuse the profanity but  he makes the point well:

So, as Katt Williams says, the next time you think you're havin a bad day (or a bad run) just remember poor lil tink tink and these other awesome runners:

If they can do it, then we can too :) 

Porch Pondering

Porch sitting is a sport of sorts in South Carolina – especially when coupled with people watching which is an undisputed sport all over. With this lovely weather lately, I have been honing in on my skills in both porch sitting and people watching.

While doing so, I happened to notice a gender difference. Before this cold weather sets in, several runners have been taking advantage of baring all that they can – guys without any shirts, girls in just a sports bra. Now that is not what I am complaining about ;)

What bugged me is I notice on a regular basis that the girls get honked at and whistles or comments from cars while guys might get a few head turns and perhaps a very occasional honk. Why is this?

Trust me, the guys look just as good to warrant the attention but it hardly ever comes. Why this double standard?

Perhaps girls are always passive and accept it. I am a runner and have countless times heard a rude comment or a honk but I have NEVER flipped the bird or yelled or anything to fight back. Furthermore, I have NEVER EVER honked or made any rude comments at guys.

I would prefer that the guys would quit with their comments and honks but in the mean time since that is unlikely to happen in the near future what if we were to give the guys a taste of their own medicine. Would they just take a comment or honk as an ego stroke or feel objectified or not even care?

I generally don’t follow the eye-for-an-eye theology but this time I believe it could do one of two things: it could either empower us where two wrongs do make a right or it could disgust us enough in doing that to others that we will be less passive in accepting it ourselves.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes…