Three January Runfessions

Happy New Year, friends. It’s been a minute or so since I runfessed my running sins. Thanksgiving, to be exact. Thanksgiving seems like it was a million years ago. I must have done something worth confessing since then, so step into the runfessional and let’s begin.

Shorts? Really?

I must runfess I am baffled by my dear hubby’s decision to wear shorts for a run anytime the temperature is above the freezing mark.

When I was a high school teacher, I did get used to seeing students wearing shorts all winter, even on days when it was snowing outside, but come on!

My protestations have caused him to expand the window of days he considers shorts-eligible to those when the temperature is in the high 20s.

I don’t believe he has worn tights yet this winter. (Shaking my head.)

It Wasn’t Named After Me

I runfess I get an absurd kick out of running on Laurie Lane.

Before the pandemic, Hubs and I started most of our runs from the rec center in town. There were more route options, and it was kind of nice to be able to shower there and maybe fit in a quick workout too.

These days, we begin most of our road runs from home. That means we run on Laurie Lane.

There is also a Laurel Avenue in town, which we sometimes traverse. For some reason, running on Laurel Avenue doesn’t give me the same cheap thrill as Laurie Lane.

My real name is Laurel. Everyone calls me Laurie, however. The only person who called me Laurel was my dad and that was only when he was angry with me.

If I heard him calling, “Laurel Ann!” that was my cue to head for the hills.

Maybe that is why I don’t like running on Laurel Avenue as much as Laurie Lane.

Photo by Jan Koetsier on Pexels.com

It Has To Be Done

I runfess I am sometimes impulsive about signing up for races.

As most runners know, in “normal” times we are bombarded with ads for upcoming races. We get ads in the mail, on social media, and in our email inboxes trying to tempt us into registering.

Most of them I can easily disregard, but occasionally one of them catches my eye.

Last year, I got an email promoting My Best Friends Are Cows Marathon.

It was supposed to be held on a rail trail beginning in Lewisburg, a Pennsylvania town almost two hours north and west of us.

I believe last year’s race was canceled due to COVID, but race directors promise to bring it back again this November.

I mean, really. You have to run it just for the name. The cow-themed T-shirts alone would be awesome.

The race website states the marathon consists of two “loops” and the half marathon one. Because the race is held on a rail trail, I believe the “loop” must actually be an out-and-back.

It is not appealing to me to run an out-and-back-and-out-and-back, but the half marathon may be doable.

I foresee a cow shirt in my future.

Thank you for sharing in my Runfessions. I am cleaner, lighter, and grateful for the chance to shed the burden of my running sins. See you again in February for my next Runfession.

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