Monday, March 10, 2014

20 Thousand Miles

At the conclusion of Saturday’s 20 mile run I hit the 20,000 mile mark.  At conservative estimates of 150 steps per minute and 10 minutes per mile, I’ve run 30 million steps since I started running 11 years ago.  It’s 32,186 kilometers.  It seems so much more is accomplished in a metric life.  20,000 of anything makes me think of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  I didn't know how far a league was, so I looked it up and 3.4523 miles equals a league.  Which instantly made me call bullshit, since that would be 5,793 miles deep…..but then I learned that it is only used as a unit of length, not depth.  It meant they travelled for 5,793 miles while under the sea.  I never read the book.

The next big milepost is 4,901 miles or, once around the world.  At current pace that should happen in the Summer of 2016.  I’m pretty set on hitting 24,901 at the site of the hospital where I was born in San Luis Obispo, CA.  I’m also pretty set on a journey run down the California Coast to get there.  Possibly starting at the Golden Gate Bridge.  Still a lot of time and miles to figure all of that out.

I meant to take a finish photo with Saturday’s running partners, Steve and Mindy.  Kellie and Jeanne were also there for the finish.  I even picked a semi photogenic finish line, for just such picture.  But it was raining, and I was too interested in dry clothes and coffee and marionberry scones and before I knew it everybody was gone and no picture was taken.




The Classy Side of Town
This meant that the only picture I have to commemorate the day was this one.  It’s from the fine Salem business establishment Hard Candy Gentlemen’s Club.  I can neither confirm, nor deny, whether any gentlemen actually frequent the club.  I do, however, appreciate how the sign embodies freedom of expression,  cultural diversity and economic prosperity all at the same time.