[../../../../top/bottom.htm]This month, things are different. When you are faced with the threat of losing something, it suddenly becomes more appreciated than it ever was before. This is true of running. It is true of writing. It is true of whatever you grasp, which becomes a part of your being, and is referred to as a passion.
I started this newsletter two years ago because I loved running, and I loved writing about running. I had a need to share my thoughts with like minded individuals. I can’t really say why this need was there. It just was. I guess I felt that every runner was as crazy about running as I was. I have come to find out that I am on the more fanatical side, but I am also in good company. I will never be the fastest runner, but few will ever run better.
I already had a column in a regional Georgia publication, but I didn’t want to be restricted to my home area. So I used the Internet to slowly build my national subscription list. Very few of you actually asked to be put on my list originally, but I added you, either by referral, or because I had some kind of clue that you are a runner. For me, this has been a very good relationship, and your feedback has been both valued and appreciated. In fact, I would like to start incorporating your responses as a new section in the next month’s column. Your insights and angles of looking at things are often different, and more dramatic than my own.
Last month, as you know, was almost the end of The Roads Scholar newsletter. As a result, the list has been reduced from about 2,000 readers to a little under 500. That’s okay by me. In fact, it was the right thing to happen. Those who remain have asked to remain, and I was very touched by the outpouring of support. I am delighted to continue with the column without fear of further retribution. We are all here because we want to be, and that was never the case before. The group has become intimate, and I like it that way.
Much like running itself, more is not always better. Running too many miles can lead to overuse injuries, and months of layoff. Many of us have made that mistake in the past. How many of us have missed the starting line of a marathon because we tried to increase our mileage too much too soon? I know I have. In all things, quality is much more important than quantity. Even if you love running to a fault, there is a time to respect the fact that a day off now and then is better than running yourself to the ground. There is a time to leave your watch at home, and smell the flowers as you pass. There is a time to stray from the beaten path, and forge one of your own.
This column has become a labor of love. My intent is to make you think of running, and perhaps yourself in a slightly different way than you did before. If a single life can be changed, even if it is just for a day, than my time has been well spent. So, in closing, than you all again for your support. Please let me know what I can do to make this monthly visit a pleasant one for you.
Have a great month of running. Michael
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 04:33 PM