This mornings run.

macdiver

Barefooters
Dec 22, 2010
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I am doing a virtual race this month. The spring marathon I was going to run got cancelled. All of their events that weekend total 48 miles so (for a fee) if you run 48 miles in November you get all 4 medals that they had leftover from the cancelled races.

For the record, I don't mean this to be political just optimism and what I think was a cool experience. So please no political comments.

36 miles run 12 miles remaining.

Everything is going to be OK.

For today I decided to do an 8 mile run. My route was to run to the boardwalk, head to the south end, turn around and run north to Gordons Pond. At Gordons pond there is a pavillon with a turn around where I would turn around head back to the boardwalk then home. This route takes me past our President Elect's weekend home. I heard he was in town this week but wasn't sure if he was still in town this morning.

While running to the boardwalk I passed a 20 something young lady. She said "excuse me" so I stopped thinking maybe I bumped her or something. She then asks "why are you barefoot?" I reply that i always run barefoot and have for over 10 years. She replies "That's ridiculous! Put some shoes on!" I reply whatever you say, have a nice day.

As I got to the boardwalk there were several news media there. As I turned south I saw a bunch of people looking up so I looked up. At first I thought it was a drone but as it turned I realized it was a pair of Bald Eagles. They were circling overhead and they stayed over me for about the half mile I was running south on the boardwalk before they headed out over the water. I took a few pictures and one of them you can almost make out that it is a Bald Eagle. I take this as a good sign for our country.

I touch the barrier at the south end and head north toward Gordon's Pond. There was a lot of traffic headed that way. As I approach the street where the Bidens house is all the cars are slowing to look then going past. More than half turned around and headed back. As I ran past I saw the house that I think is his has a bunch of orange cones in front but then I notice the state police have the road blocked further up. So I may be wrong about which house is the President Elect's. I continue my run into Gordon's Pond State park and I notice that the parking lot is full like a September weekend. I continue on to where the Gordon Pond bike path is and there are several hundred people standing there including several media cameras. I continue running but quickly realize that the turn around at the pavilion is full of Secret Service SUV's. I decide not to run around the turn around as planned but to stop and turn around where I was about 20 feet from the first SUV. I stopped and took a picture. One parking lot was closed and had a large private bus parked in it so I got a picture of that. I know the Bidens will bike on the Gordon's Pond Trail and my guess is he was biking this morning. I thought about running onto the trail but decided to stick to my plan. Plus the trail is gravel and I didn't have my Xero sandals.

I continued home and unlike the first lady had a biker tell me I was "awesome and hardcore" for running barefoot. There was a group of teenage boys that had been in Gordon's Pond. They all had reflective vests on and there were a couple of adults with them. I'm thinking they may have been a scout troop. They were coming off the bike path and were re-grouping in the parking lot as I ran past. On my way back to the boardwalk they rodr past me on the other side of the street. One of them asked me how far I was running and when I said 8 miles he replied wow that's far with no shoes. So I got more positive feed back than negative. Maybe the divisiveness of our country is on the mend
 
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Hope all your usual running routes don't get overrun with secret service people!

Actually, on reflection I'm happy with this development and what it means. Even randos from the other side of the world like to see people feeling positive and hopeful. :)
 
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The one negative comment that resonates with me about my being barefoot, after I finished a race, I looked at the clock and said, "One measly second!" The volunteer working the finish line, said back to me, "If maybe you had shoes on!" I replied, "I can't run in shoes! I have Morton's Neuroma!" She had a look of utter embarrassment realizing that maybe some people can't wear or run in shoes because of a disability. It still pisses me off today!
 
At first I thought it was a drone but as it turned I realized it was a pair of Bald Eagles. They were circling overhead and they stayed over me for about the half mile I was running south on the boardwalk before they headed out over the water. I took a few pictures and one of them you can almost make out that it is a Bald Eagle. I take this as a good sign for our country.
That is... wow!
I'm thrilled whenever I see any bird of prey, but the Bald Eagle, with all it signifies must have been something else.