Perils of Long Distance Running

In the course of training for races over five kilometers (3.1 miles) I have been relegated to running primarily on local roads within town. Previously I have been training at the local track at the Palmyra Middle School. I prefer training at the local track for a variety of reasons.

Having been a resident of Palmyra for nearly forty years, I have witnessed first hand the growth of the town from a small laid back working blue collar town to a more hectic and more densely populated white collar town it is today. As the town has grown both in terms of several new home developments and the number of large retailers establishing a footprint here, the more the aura of a big town environment has taken hold.

I have to qualify this statement. If you are coming from a big city to Palmyra, you are likely to categorize the town as a small town with a dearth of dining and shopping options. Big or small is relative to your life experience base.

Running on the roads through town has proven to be more of a headache than an exercise in recharging my battery or soul searching while traversing the towns byways. Living on the extreme west side of town I first cut a path eastward toward the eastern perimeter of town. To get to the eastern perimeter I have to cross through four high traffic intersections.

Once I get to the perimeter I am essentially running along farm land and open fields. This is the most peaceful part of the run from an intersection basis, but now I must contend with cars traveling in excess of 45 mile per hour. I run against traffic. If I am going to get hit by a car, I want to see it coming at me. Most people give me room on the shoulder of the road to run, but occasionally you have someone who will not move over an inch to grant you space. Another road running issue is the occasional dead animal in various states of decay lying on the road.

In contrast, running on the local track eliminates dedicating any mental faculties toward self preservation and enables you to focus on the task at hand, training. The surface is grippy and soft. The track is designed for running. Roads were designed for vehicular traffic, not foot traffic. An occasional inconsiderate driver will remind me of this fact.

While running on the track there's also an iota of becoming absorbed in role playing. I sometimes envision myself as part of a fictitious major track event complete with people in the stands. I daydream I am rounding the last turn and sprinting home toward the finish line as I am running. At a race or two I did finish the run on a running track with a small number of spectators in attendance. Anything goes for finding sources for increasing your motivation.