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Arnold mom stays on run with non-stop race agenda
By JOE SHAFRAN
You may have read the AP story and seen the picture over the Thanksgiving holiday of President Bush riding his bike in China. I suppose it was intended to make it official that after many years, the President has given up running and now rides a bike. The article refers to him as a “gear head”. We got to know the President over the years as a runner who had inspired millions around the world into running and other forms of exercise and the way he switched to biking about a year and a half ago, without any notice, has let those millions down. There was no announcement, just which he had a painful knee and had quit running. I think it took his own staff by surprise. . .Until she left the White House, one of his assistants, Karen Hughes, was so enamored with his running that she would consistently correspond with me to keep me up to date. Two of the president’s daughters are runners and last spring ran a race in Richmond. There have been tidbits of information about his biking but not until the expansive wire story over Thanksgiving did we got the full details. It was the first full documented report of his biking including the type of bike he uses and how much it cost. In was in that story that there is mention that he has a “painful knee” but what about it? Was any treatment suggested? Is there more too it than has been reported? Millions of runners who have come down with bad knees would like to compare notes. I know he has the weight of the world on his shoulders but as revealing as is the story on his biking, there should be a story equally as revealing about his knee and his giving up running. A special high tech running track was put in for him on the South Lawn. I checked it this summer and it still looks intact. I intend to write the President for an explanation and I’ll share any answer I get.
But now, let’s switch to the subject of The Runner of Note and it surely is no longer the President of the United States. The Runner of Note is Sheryl Kline, a one thousand percent runner, In her mid forties, she is a single mother of three from Arnold, Her oldest is 18. She has a male companion who is also a good runner. This is a woman who is a non-stop runner. In October and November, she has set winning records in at least 8 weekend races. Here’s a woman with three kids, a job and in a start-up business who does her training runs most mornings. Please don’t let me hear you say you don’t have time for running or exercise. She looks to be about a hundred pounds, is about 5’6 and took up running three years ago when she gave up smoking a pack or more a day and her work and business is counseling others on giving up their addictions.
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A runners tip…
Crossing at an intersection… we are not yet at the point of having graphic highway signs as there are for bikers suggesting a sharing of the road . The Striders do have a graphic showing a runner that they post at some running events. I suggest that when you run, you defer to a vehicle as you cross an intersection. Run behind, rather than in front of a vehicle at a stop sign or light. Watch for that right turn on red. A driver is concentrating more on watching for vehicles approaching from the left than a runner about to legally cross coming from the right. Until we get our signs, give way to that ton of metal. And also, don’t get so absorbed with what’s coming through your headsets that you forget you are at an intersection.
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Running Calendar
The race of note might well be the Strider’s 28th Anniversary 15 Kilometer in and around Quiet Waters Park Sunday Dec. 10th. It’s 9.3 miles and that this is the 8th and final race for the Club championship series. It starts at ten o’clock and that Susan Zevin is the contact person at susanzevin@comcast.net or call 410.573.9424.
Sun. Dec. 10. 10 A.M. Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, at Forest and Hillsmere Drs. It’s the Striders 28th Anniversary 15 K ( 9.3 miles)and is the 8th and final of the championship series. Call Susan Zevin at 410.573.9424.
Dec. 11th. ( Monday) , On -line entries open at 10 A.M for the 35th annual, Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run Washington D.C. Limited to 10,000. cherryblossom.org
Jan. 4 to 7th. Buena Vista, Florida Disney World Marathon Weekend. Visit www.disneyworldmarathon.com
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