Slow Running public Races, overcoming Embarrassment about Awkwardness

 When I was a kid (fifth grade at Nova Elementary) and my class's p.e. instructor had us, as a group, run an extended course,, it would usually come down to a rqce. We'd heqd off campus toward the northern palm trees, which w'ed circle an thenreturn 'home. Brooke, as naurally talented as she was...and hopefully still is...would gracefully run away from the competition; she'd kick eveyone's ass if it were a Parkun!  i was a quick, short-distance sprinter with a long way to go on the endurance running side.  According to slow running (AF) advocate Martinus Evans, running competitively in public, under everyone's gaze, is an integral element of the activity.  This coming Saturday's Depot pqrkrun 5k is basically a publicly staged event.  So if i have any self-conscious issues involving feeling embarrassed over others observing my obviously flawed attempts at running for a sustained distance...forget the palms...looks like no one is in danger of confusing me with Brooke. Training for Saturday will necessarily involve me very lightly running downa dry stretch of qasphalt road,assuming i actually get a dry stretch of road with all this rain we've been having lately. My plan is this:after we've started the upcoming race for about a minute, I kick into slow AF running and see how long I can stand it...there ain't no shame in going back into walking mode, at least for a little while. I can also cut across the park's course to the car should I need to 'drop out' early...Still, unlike the case with our Florida Lottery, it should all be 'good fun'...

Here Comes Yet Another Saturday Morning

It's close to 5:30 AM on this Saturday morning, without me getting much sleep at all.  I brewed the coffee and ran in place for six minutes...and here I am sitting in front of the Chromebook.  i don't know how the Depot Parkrun will go today, but the time is progressing toward the alarm going off.  The TV with its noise irritated me last night, and I'm looking forward to making an earnest effort at covering the course.  There should be time afterward for me to go back and sleep some, and the day looks to be loaded with time.  Anyway, happy March 14th...

Completed 100th Parkrun with Melissa this Very Chilly Morning

 For Gainesille's New Year's Day Parkrun 5K, the event organizers decided to combine the Depot Park and West End Community Park locations, holding our event at the latter.  For Melissa and me it was to be my 100th overall Parkrun finish (her 16th),and I was determined to show up (with Melissa driving), walk the distance and then write about it.  The people who greeted us there this morning a little past seven were very friendly.  When the timers started it at 7:30, Melissa...who was using walking stiicks pretty skillfully, in my estimation...confidently tackled the convoluted and confusing course with a moderately brisk walk. there were numerous twists and turns there making me suspect that we had lost our way, but toward the end of the 3.1-mile Parkurn I felt I had always been on course, alhough later the total covered distance seemed long, closer to the 3.48 miles figure i read on my Fitbit watch after a preview run last July.  We returned home and I rested. it was rough then looking for warm clothing as I could tell that it would be awfully cold out there...and it was.  Tomorrow morning Depot Park has a new 2026 Parkrun 5K, and I"m looking forward to walking and/or running, slow old geezer that I already imagine myself to be.  Meanwhile, I continue fighting cancer and try telling myself to get up more and exercise...