Thanksgiving Friends?

Normally running with friends is a good thing. Their mere existence tends to motivate you to get out there and run even when it is -17 degrees out. And it isn't even the fear of the endless teasing that you will have to endure from those you "stood up" when you chose to stay in bed. No, it is just the fact if they are running, you should be too. This morning I learned that the later is generally too, for MOST people unless they were unwise enough to put themselves on the running poll AND visited (for a very long time) the local tavern for some pre-Thanksgiving merry making.

That was the case for THREE of my running comrades. Oh sure, they chalked it up to the weather.... "It's going to be cold!" "It's going to be icy!" "You should cancel the run tomorrow morning!" There are two things you should note here. One - you will notice that they did not voice the REAL reason they wanted to cancel the run, "I am going to be hung over and just don't want to." Two - some how they felt this was MY problem since they wanted ME to cancel the run so they could lie in bed guilt free (but not hangover free). Oh to have the POWER to be able to cancel runs! Maybe on some "perfect running weather" day I should just cancel the run - just to PROVE I have the POWER. (On a side note - my youngest has been talking a lot recently about figuring out what his super powers are, I guess I just figured mine out.)

Now, it just so happens that the THREE runners who did not show this morning are semi new to the morning running group. (yes, yes, Al and Sheri - I know you have been running for a while, but not with the MORNING group). I realized that these 3 did not do the wise thing and watch the more veteran runners and take cues from them on how to handle the situation they put themselves in. There were two other morning runners in the tavern last night who not only did not sign themselves up to run the next morning, but they were wise enough to realize that they shouldn't even bring up the fact that they weren't running because that also opens themselves up for ridicule (wise wimps). So, given that today is Thanksgiving, I figured that I should embrace the day and give the three of them a little words of wisdom....

1. Coordinate your merry making and running schedule (in other words - Think ahead!)

2. If you don't do #2, don't badger the "keeper of the poll" to cancel the run.

3. If you don't do #1 or #2 then remember that the "keeper of the poll" is also the blogger and be prepared to be featured in the next poll. And being prepared means that you will take blog stardom with more grace and humbleness than you did when NOT following #2.

And yes, I did run this morning. A little cold, a little icy, BUT I STILL RAN.

Happy Thanksgiving!