I ran my first marathon, in Memphis, TN in December of 1992. Well, that's not exactly true. I trained - or overtrained - for my first marathon during the fall of 1992. I didn't read anything about training, didn't have a training plan, just a stubborn determination. I made it to mile 6.

I complete my first marathon nearly a year later in Columbus, OH. I had a training plan, and a training partner. I had a race strategy and a very cool "engineer's" hat. I ran at least one marathon a year EVERY year from 1993 to 2006. That's 14 years. And some of those years I ran as many as 6 marathons. That's not a lot if you're one of the marathon maniacs, but it was a lot for me.

The marathon in 2006 was part of the Walt Disney World "Goofy" challenge. As it got late in 2007 I got worried about breaking my streak. Once or twice I started on a marathon training schedule only to get a certain distance and just think "no way". In 2008 I tried a couple of times to complete a half marathon training program. I started out with good intentions, but never got past a 12 mile run.

What I've discovered is what I knew when I started out. I like the shorter distances. I like running shorted distances, training for shorter distances, and racing the shorter distances. I can run more often, run harder and faster - fast for me - and find it easier to fit the training into my day. It works for me.

Why, then, do I feel guilty about REALLY liking the 5K distance? Why is it that I think that training for, and participating in, a 5K is somehow "less than" training for and participating in a half marathon or full marathon? I don't know. But I have some thoughts.

The running "industry" loves the long distances races. They can charge big fees, they can attract big crowds, and they can make a ton of money. I'm not being critical. I've certainly benefitted from the 2nd running boom's desire to run long distances at huge races.

What I miss, though, is the spirit and sense of community that you find in local races. I ran a small 4 mile run last Thanksgiving and had a GREAT time. I didn't have a great "time", but I was able to push myself just a little because I knew the distance was well within my capabilities.

These days I'm running 3 miles a day - or walking 2 miles - nearly every day. I can do that because I'm not worried about long runs. And, to be honest, I'm having more fun than I have in years.

So, it's not that I'm bashing the long distances and giant races. I'll be at all of the Rock 'n' Roll Series events this year. I'm just saying that for me - and maybe others - the joy of running is still the best reason to run, whatever that distance turns out to be.

Waddle on,

Some of you may have noticed that the "No Need for Speed" column was not in the February Runner's World. This is a funny time in the publishing industry, and I'm certainly no expert on magazine publishing, but it looks like there's some sorting out going on. I'll be in the magazine 10 times this year. Look for the column again in the March issue.

With the April column I will have completed 13 years as a columnist with Runner's World. That's 156 columns. Considering that I was worried that I wouldn't be able to come up with ideas for the original 8 columns for which I was contracted, that's not bad. The funny thing is that, rather than it being harder to find ideas, I now find that I don't have the time or space to write about everything I want to.

Thanks goodness for Blogs.

In May of 1996 the column was called "The Penguin Chronicles", a name taken from the reference in the first column to images of runners always being gazelles or eagles and I felt like a penguin. A legal challenge from Penguin-Putnam Books convinced the US editors to change the name of the column to simply "The Chronicles". As a side note, the column remained "The Penguin Chronicles" in all international editions of Runner's World.

With the new editorial and publishing staff the column got renamed "No Need for Speed", and Gil Eisner's wonderful penguin characters were removed. In some ways that shifted the focus of the column, or at least seemed to, from the original concept of sharing the "joy of movement" that I discovered as an adult-onset athlete to being an advocate for going slowly. The truth is, I've never advocated going slowly. I've only advocated finding your own pace - fast OR slow.

As I recently wrote, after running for 15 years running is like an old friend to me. I like running. I like being around running. Like a relationship that has matured over time my relationship with running has come to a place of comfort. I don't need to impress myself or anyone else any more.

But, even after 15 years I still have the same sense of wonder and mystery about running - and myself as a runner. Every day I learn something new. Every run reveals something that I hadn't seen. That's what makes running so wonderful.

What I'm discovering is that the Web 2.0 medium - this blogging, Facebook, Twitter, medium - is more like what it was in the beginning for me. And I've found I really like it. It's liberating to be back where I was before 17 people decided what words would be read.

Stick around, folks. I think this is going to be a fun ride.

Waddle on, friends.

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start"

Well, it's hard to start to talk about anything today - January 21, 2009 - without commenting on the events of yesterday. The inauguration of Barack Obama was certainly one of the most memorable days of my life,

In January of 1973 I marched, as a member of THE U.S. Army Band, in the inaugural parade for Richard Nixon. This was a very difficult time for the country. As we marched we were booed, and had things thrown at us. I just kept thinking "HEY! I'm just a trombone player". But, the contentiousness was everywhere.

Yesterday seemed 180 degrees from that day. People seemed united. People seemed relieved. People seemed ready to believe that hope is an appropriate emotion again. I hope that they're right.

It occurred to me that hope is a necessary ingredient for change, whether that's change as dramatic as President Obama was describing, or just the simple, personal changes that lead us to a different lifestyle. In any case, one has to have hope.

As I face down the demons of food and drink, and weight, I think the first emotion I'm going to have to find is hope. If I am hope-less then I don't think any wishing and planning is going to do me any good at all.

So today, I'm going in search of hope. I'm going to look back at where I've been before I look forward to where I want to go. I'm going to find that ability to believe that change can happen. That change will happen.

At least, I hope it will.

John

So far, so good. I actually showed up on the first Wednesday to do the blog. It's not that I don't want to blog, it's just that I'm not sure I understand what it is that blogging does.

These days it seems like everyone with access to a computer keyboard has their own private space on the internet. I'm sure that all of us think that our lives are simply the most interesting lives ever, or at least we think that our uninteresting lives are of interest to others, but I'm not sure. As one who lives a fair part of my life in public I'm mostly convinced that my life is interesting to me and me only.

But, that's not to say that there aren't things that I'd like to say. Again, as a professional writer, there are things that I'd like to be able to say without the interference of editors, and copy-editors, and editorial boards, and advertising folks, etc. So, this is going to be much more free-form and MUCH more "real" than anything that makes it into print.

If it interests you; great. If not; I understand.

Today is about getting back into the groove. Over the past month I've moved and survived the holidays. I also turned 60 which seems to be a major age threshold for me. I haven't "had" to be "the Penguin" in over a month, but, Friday when I show up in Orlando for the Disney World Marathon weekend I will be "all Penguin all the time" and I'm looking forward to it.

Finally, I'm going to go back to the beginning and start writing a blog called "The Recess Bell". It will more general fitness based and will focus less on running and more on finding your own play.

So, that's it for this Wednesday, January 7, 2009. Enjoy the week. I'll see you next Wednesday.

John

WOW. What a day.

August in Chicago is HOT, HOT, HOT. Historically, the Sunday of the Chicago Distance Classic has been one of the hottest days of the summer. But this year we, the organizers and the participants, got lucky and we had one of the most beautiful days of the summer. The temperature was 64 degrees at race start.

With registrations topping 11,000 we decided to use an "honor system" wave start. All-in-all in went well. We did have a bit a confusion because the waves weren't exactly defined, but everyone was patient and cooperated. The result was a safer, faster, race course for everyone.

One of the best parts of the day was seeing so many charities represented. We really focused on increasing charity participation and in paid off. We had over 35 charities out there with well over 2,000 participants.

But, the real congratulations goes to the City of Chicago and the various agencies that make the city work. We had wonderful partners in the Chicago Police, Chicago Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management and Communications, Park District, and more. Our thanks to everyone who helped make it a special day for everyone.

John

It may be hard to believe that I could be home, and away, at the same time but that's what this past weekend was all about. The our biggest race, the Chicago Distance Classic now less than three weeks away I've been out pounding the pavement in the Chicagoland area.

Saturday I was up in Barrington with the folks from Dick Pond's. Sunday I was in Naperville for the Grand Opening of the new RoadRunner Sports store, and tonight - Monday - I'm at the Dick Pond store in Schaumburg.

Speaking of the CDC, this year is shaping up to be the best EVER. Registrations are ahead of last year, I've driven the course several times and it's FANTASTIC, and the post-race party is going to rock the city. If you're anywhere near Chicago you owe it to yourself to experience this race.

On the COMPLETE other side of my life, Jenny and I spent a couple of days last week on the Kyle Petty Charity ride. It benefits the Victory Junction Gang Camp - where we put on our Run to Victory in December. The HIGHLIGHT of the ride was getting to do two laps at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake. OH MY!! I used to go there to watch the motorcycle races. NOW I REALLY can't believe how fast they were going.

OK, back to work.

John

Even though we've been back a couple of days, it still feels like the world is floating. That's what comes from spending 8 days at sea.

We've just finished up the 2008 Great Alaskan Maritime Marathon GAMM. Imagine 100 runners getting to do a staged marathon in some of most beautiful places on earth. It's simply amazing. The local runners from Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan come out and host us. It's fantastic.

And, when we're NOT running, we're enjoying everything else about the cruise; time to relax, time to chat, time to just sit around and enjoy life. It's perfect. One of THE most fun parts, though, is the two "formal" dinners. Seeing 100 runners ALL DRESSED up is a kick.

But now our focus shifts full-time to the Chicago Distance Classic. Registration are WAY ahead of last year - which is good and bad. I don't want to have to close registration, but once we hit 12,000 I'm afraid the city will make us shut it down. SO, if you are planning to run it and haven't registered - GET GOING.

j

I had a chance, last night, to do something that very few people get to do. I got to thank the folks that gave me the life that I have.

I am in Tacoma, Washington for the DRSWCXVI, the Dead Runners Society's 16th annual World Conference. For those of you who DON'T know, and I suspect that's MOST of you, the Dead Runners Society was one of - if not THE - first internet group of runners. It's a email list that started back in the dark ages of the internet - 1993 - and had a profound influence on how runners communicated with each other.

In 1995 I submitted an email to the BIG LIST, as it was called, that became the first Penguin Chronicle in Runner's World magazine. It was an email, no more, but it became the template for the columns. When the column first appeared in Runner's World, in May of 1996, my world changed. And it all started with the wonderful people of the Dead Runners Society.

It's also an opportunity to spend some time with my old friend Indro Neri. He and I met in Florence, Italy in the summer of 1996, I was the best man in his wedding, and we have had a number of adventures over the years including the Popcorn Chicken Odyssey in 1999.

There isn't time or space to describe Indro's level and depth of creativity. I can only say that it takes me about 6 months to process 24 hours of the conversations that we have.

So, today, I am grateful for the opportunity that I was given to be the voice of the second running boom. And, I am especially grateful to the membership of the Dead Runners Society - past and present - who were instrumental in giving me the forum on which to speak.

John