Author Archives: Bruce

Running in the outdoors requires one to adjust to the elements. Some love the hot summer weather or some the beauty of Fall and Spring and others, the freezing cold of winter invigorates them to run farther and faster.

Running in hot weather requires precaution especially as a senior runner to make sure one takes care of proper hydration. Best to stick to morning and early evenings rather than the hottest part of the day. I am not a lover of hot weather running although a nice run in the early morning or early evening is quite nice to get the sweat rolling. For me, I just need to pick the right times of the day as I prefer cooler weather.

I do not think I have meet a person that does not love to run in the Fall or Spring. Nothing more needs to be said.

Winter can be brutal. I love it. The colder, the better within reason. One problem is, serious runners do not hydrate enough being one sweats less in cold weather, but nevertheless, the water still leaves your body. Do not forget to drink and dress properly for cold weather if needed. Many dress more heavily than needed in cold weather and later as they get further into their runs, start peeling clothing layers.

Lastly, running in extreme weather like rain storms or snow storms and different kinds of nasty weather, I love it as it makes me feel special. While people are all nested in during a snow storm i love a nice long early evening run and then the aftermath of a hot shower and a good couple of brandies while sitting at the fireplace.

I have run during hurricanes and Asian typhoons and the worst conditions one can imagine and loved it. How about you?

My friend who was a classical musician, at the age of 53 was a single divorced man with an all grown-up son and had the true life of freedom. His name is Cotton Crowe. He was living out of his van at Coco beach, Florida. He also was an active duty military musician playing for the army field band that played at official engagements at the White House. Cotton, while living out of his Van was able to use the facilities at Patrick Airbase at Coco Beach Florida for showering and other essential needs. The Airbase was close to where he parked his Van. So here, he was living out of his van and running daily on the beach and playing his French Horn at early morning hours in the freedom of nature without a care in the world. He later went back to a more conventional lifestyle but he looks upon those years in his van as possibly his happiest years. So freedom is a state of mind in this writer’s opinion, and Cotton typifies it.

Most runners I know have the ability to live simple lives because they are able to simplify their needs as a result of running. I myself pay little to no attention to politics and things I have little or no control over and my evening meal on the hedonistic side are my favorite times of my day. I appreciate my family much more with my running dedication as it is a calming element. So whether you’re young or old or rich or poor, freedom is purely a personal mental state and running brings to one a true sense of freedom, in my experience as well as others i know who have a running addiction.

So remember if you’re struggling financially or with other aspects in your life that are not perfect, running is a natural drug that let’s one think much more clearly about what’s really important in one’s life.. And that’s what freedom is all about in this author’s opinion.

The working world can be tough at times, and so can personal and interrelationships. Folks with major league egos, or the lack of it, lash out in your work place because of insecurity, or just out of stress, as well as yours. Lack of concern for one another in the world we live in. We have been told and have learned to take care of our own, and that’s as far as it goes for most.

The world can be a petty place at times. It teaches us to hate, and learning to care about one’s own security with money, our interconnection is lost. It can be described as tit for tat.

So why are we runners different? Or are we? I say yes, as every time we go for that hour or more run and come back sweating, huffing, puffing and feeling great, we have a better understanding of reaching out and interconnecting. Why is this? Why should we care about such unimportant matters when we feel so good and know that our physical health, one of the things we are in control of, is successful?

A nice bottle of water, or the new day concept of chocolate milk or protein shake, then to the shower for a wonderful rinse off, and it’s like a rebirth. It feels great, so who cares about all the insignificant stuff in the world? We have found the daily rejuvenation. It is like starting life all over again after that hour or so run. Do other runners feel like I do with these daily new beginnings?