DFL Runner: Blog

The next chapter - where you will see some of radio_guy's influence on my writing - was posted slightly earlier than planned. For those of you not familiar with the posting mechanism, you have the option of either having a story post right away, or to post at one of two predetermined points during the day. I forgot to specify that I wanted it to post tomorrow morning, so happy early reading!

The new chapter was posted yesterday while I was en route to a 1:45:02 finish to a 7K that I'm pretty sure was actually 7.4K. No matter. I had a great time and walked with a fellow race walker who - and in a preview of coming attractions, I *swear* it's a coincidence - hails from Cincinnati.

I *hurt* this morning but will be sitting for several hours as I drive home. Also, please lift good thoughts and vibes for "Kim" who has developed sepsis of some variety.

#milesforkim

4.3496 of them, to be precise. That's my goal for the 7K race I will be doing next Saturday morning ... just to finish the race. And to get the very cool finisher medal, which will be presented to "Kim" to hang on the wall in her room at the rehab facility. I still have the hope of being part of her first race after she recovers. Ideally, of course, I would like to be screaming my lungs out as she crosses the finish line on foot, but even if she's doing it with four wheels underneath her, I'll still scream just as loudly.

Speaking of finish lines, Chapter 12 has been posted and crosses one of them for John and Lisa. It was somewhat satisfying for me to get them there, moving them a little closer to the destiny I have in mind for them. But that was just one goal of many ... still a good distance to go in their story.

As well, Chapter 13 is already in queue, to be posted on schedule next Saturday morning, probably while I am at the first water station on the course.

Have a great week, everyone.

Chapter 11 is posted. Chapter 12 will be sent to jetson63 before the weekend is over, and will be posted on 8/10. There is a distinct possibility that Chapter 13 may be delayed until the 24th as I will be traveling to a destination race that takes place on the morning of the 17th.

I am part of a weekly running group. More precisely, the rest of the group runs. I speed-walk a circuit around the shopping center where we all meet. When we all come back to the running store where we meet up, we hang out for a bit, shoot the breeze, and occasionally go out for coffee or a bite to eat afterward. They're a good bunch of people.

One of the group's organizers is a lady about my age who is more driven and has more energy than many people half her age. She works 10-hour days, meets up with us to run four miles after work on Monday, meets up with another group after work to ride her bike 20 miles on another evening, and somewhere in the middle of this she also runs a household with two young, active boys.

A month and a half ago, this lady - who I will call Kim to protect her privacy - was out with her riding group, training for the triathlon she was planning to do over Labor Day weekend. Sharing the road with her was a young man in a sedan who not only was texting on his phone, who not only was high, but who wasn't even supposed to be driving as his license had been suspended.

I'm not exactly sure of the circumstances, but his distracted self turned his car in the direction of the bike lane and the group of riders that were there. He hit Kim and, had she not been wearing a helmet, she likely would have been killed. As it is, she sustained a severe concussion, major road rash, and several broken bones, one due to the car running over her before it stopped.

Oh, and her back was broken, leaving her a paraplegic, possibly permanently (they still aren't sure yet).

People ... I know that there are cyclists who act like complete asshats in traffic. I know there are runners who will flip you off if you don't move your car clear to the other side of the road to get around them. On behalf of the road-racing community, I apologize for them and I am embarrassed to have them stand as the kind of representative of that community you seem to encounter most. I'm not asking you to like them. But please, I am asking you to be careful around them - and me - anyway.

For those of you who were wondering how long the "slow" code represented, this chapter is the beginning of the answer. While I will likely never reach anything approaching "stroke story" level, more is coming, I promise.

As some of you have determined, some degree of real life has found its way into this story. One example is my susceptibility to migraine headaches. I've gotten them most of my life, and Imitrex is the only medication that has ever successfully treated them. Unfortunately, it does have its side effects, many of which you have read about, including joint pain and a bit of an extended migraine hangover. I still prefer it to waiting the migraine out, but I have learned to just wrap myself in a blanket, crash in front of the television, and not make any important life choices after taking it.

As well, the first four paragraphs happened IRL, exactly as described, while training a new employee a few years back.

Beyond that, to quote another song by the late great Harry Chapin ... "Reality is only just a word." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqZ-rkuUGKE)

Speaking of which, it was wonderful to meet a few fellow denizens of the Cheap Seats in response to last week's blog post.

I very much appreciate all the feedback, both positive and negative. I am, and will remain, indebted to jetson63 for his fabulous editing skills and input, but your feedback is also helping me develop a better story and become a better writer overall. Please keep it coming. Please also feel free to offer suggestions if you like. I can't promise to use it, but I promise to read it and consider it.

Have a great week, everyone.

-- DFLR