Checkmate

He can deny it all he wants, ’til the cows come home, even longer (and you know he will), but I know the truth, as I’m sure many of you do too. The Big Ring is a runner!

For more than a year now Big Ring has been going on and on about how he’s not a runner, runners are weird, runners are strange, why would anyone want to be a runner – especially when cycling is the other option? And yet, he’s been running.

On one of our first runs together this fall; can’t you just see the enjoyment on his face?

See, the spring, summer, fall months are generally his cycling months, but once mid fall on the West Coast hits, it’s about five months of cold, wet weather that his precious Lapierre just cannot withstand. And in this household, we like our cookies and chocolate – a lot! – and so if you’re not cycling, you’ve got to be doing something else to hold on to that lean physique. Last year, Mario tried his legs at running.

On his first ever run last year.

He runs in the morning, he runs at night, he runs with me, he runs solo – many times. On nights when I’m preoccupied, or out on a longer run, or busy doing something else, he’ll lace up the sneakers on his own accord. On nights when I’m just not feeling a run, he’ll look at me with pleading eyes, longing for the cool breeze against his face, eventually convincing me that I, too, long for those endorphins. On nights, like tonight, when the rain is pelting down hard, and thoughts of a warm blanket on the couch seem way more appealing than a run, he’ll remind me that I conquered 42.2 km of running in the rain in Portland, surely I can manage a quick 3.5 km down the Quay.

But those were only short runs, he says. They don’t count, he says. He’s still not a runner, he says. After last Friday, I say, checkmate.

Last Friday’s run.

When I woke up Friday morning, I was itching for a good run. I’d had a disastrous run on Sunday, and a less than impressive treadmill run on Wednesday, I needed a good, solid run. Big Ring decided to join me. Initially he was only planning to run with me for the first 2 km before turning back, but I decided that wasn’t good enough. “Don’t you think it’s about time you go a bit further?” I said with encouragement shooting from my eyes. With tumult in his voice, he agreed.
I did a good 8 km; Big Ring did a great 5!

On his way home to 5 km!

And he liked it! He told me he felt great at the end, even pushed himself the last little bit, and the glow on his face from accomplishing such a feat was still there when I returned a short while later. We did a repeat on Christmas morning. Next up: 10 km. Mwahahahhahaaa 😉

TONIGHT’S RUN:

• 6 p.m. BG before: 7.4
• Temp. basal: -60 per cent
• Distance: 3.5 km
• Time: ??? (Totally forgot to look)
• 6:45 p.m. BG after: 8.1
• Temp. basal: +60 per cent (1 hour)

What do you think? Is Big Ring a runner or what?