Running as a team sport

On the surface, running is an individual sport, but since we started this journey I've learned it is much more like a team sport. Everyday I am the one that has to convince myself to lace up my shoes and pound the pavement, but when I'm out in the world, touring the parks, trails and sidewalks of Denver, that is when my team shows up.

This morning as I walked out of my building, there were two homeless men in the foyer, they'd been there over night protecting themselves from the cold and they were the first to tell me to have a good run. Turning the corner and running past the Governor's mansion I past dozens of cars, their drivers on the way to work; whenever the street lights turns red, the drivers that are first in line are like my cheerleaders, the lights on the car like the spotlights in a stadium.

Cheeseman Park is when I meet up with my competition, luckily it is always friendly. I took two laps of the park this morning and each time my fellow runners and I past each other we gave "the nod." You know the one. It's when two runners going in opposite directions look each other in the eye and lift their chins slightly. That little movement, that could easily be confused as a muscle spasm to the untrained eye, is all I need to keep my my left leg following my right. The nod says "Good morning, nice to see you again. Sweet kicks, are those new? I thought I saw that Runners Roost was having a sale this weekend. There's a big hill up ahead but keep going, you're doing great!" There aren't any classes you can take to learn proper etiquette of the nod. It almost seems like the nod was developed on accident as people's heads were bobbing along on the trail.

On the way back to my apartment there was a driver that had pulled out into the driveway, blocking my path to cross the street. As I got close the driver waved at me as he put the car in reverse and backed out of my way. It was all I needed to go the last few blocks.

I like team sports. They keep me running, day in and day out.
-Becca