Race2Walk Blogs
Track Date June 23, 2016 - Two weeks until the Roman Mile.
Observed: an ever-aging, ever-widening, ever-tightening celestial body lumbering through the cosmos at mock speed. It ain't pretty.
That's basically the scene on summer mornings when I work with ex-Notre Dame running back, and current Aspen High School track coach, James Aldridge, in my pre-dawn "sprint" sessions. To his credit he does not snicker as he puts me through drills to improve my fast twitch capabilities. Like I ever had fast twitch capabilities. I'm all about fat twitch.
Anyway, the deal is, it doesn't matter if I lumber at mock speed with fat twitch muscles. What does matter is that I can still get in the blocks, rise to position at "set," get a little nervous before "go" and feel the explosion when I burst from the blocks. I can lift my knees, focus on the rubber ribbon of track ahead, power my arms and just ... run as fast as I can.
I feel so fortunate to be able to do that, no matter how funky it may look or how slow it actually is. I feel great just running.
And it's not just because I'm 60. An age at which there not many attempting to sprint. It's because I have the honest to god great good fortune of having my health.
As of this Track Date, June 23, 2016, I can run.
Not everyone is as fortunate. There are many who would love the opportunity to get up too early and head out and go through the paces – but can't. Maybe it was just a bad break. Maybe it was genetics. Whatever the reason, some just can't right now.
Please join me as we do what we can to help others walk. Maybe one day, even run.
Please help purchase a Bionic Suit for Bridging Bionics Foundation. Donate at race2walk2016.com
