2019 HOKA ONE ONE Week 27, beginning of summer mileage, Week 2, Day 7: Sunday long runs

Long runs have been a big part of my life for 45 years. It started with five loops on the DeSmet Campus in Creve Couer, Mo, or running the parking lot of St. Blaise in Bridgeton, Mo for an hour in 1972-73. In San Jose, I would run down the Guadelupe River, with my Bellarmine teammates. We would eat a few strawberrries in the Japanese American farmers fields. Sometimes, the old guys would offer us water, real cold water and it was wonderful, after an hour on the dirt path.

In college, my coach, Dan Durante, found 20 mile runs on runs through ghost towns in the Santa Cruz mountains. On the long ones, Paul Gyorey, aka Geza to me, and I would get into this zone, for the last 35 minutes uphill, and we could just hear each other's breathing, and perhaps the birds on the redwood covered trails.

When my son Adam was small, I would take him out in a baby jogger. The 3 mile woods trail was our home. Near Newark, DE, we would do 12-15 a day, sometimes as much as 22. Adam would fall asleep on the second loop and we would run by foxes, rabbits and deer. One day, our moment of Adam day, a large buck stopped in front of us, looked at Adam, fast asleep, with stick in one hand, apple juice box in other, and came up and smelled the young human. I stood there, knowing that the buck had probably seern use causing a ruckus in his woods for some time. He looked at young Adam, then, me, and walked away regally.

Breaking the tape, Colby Alexander, photo by Kevin Morris

In San Jose, upon my return, I would walk six miles most days with mry son Adam, Hachi the wunder dog and Sumo, the most loving dog in the world. We would stop at a Starbucks, have a coffee and head on our way.

Now, post heart surgery, I have built back up to 90 minutes to two hours. I love walking along the Rock River, with my ear phones on, no music. I like the sounds of silence. The hawks, the frogs, the bugs.

Last week, on a walk, my brother found a lama on his walk in Warrenton, Mo. I found fellow walkers and runners enduring the humidty.

Moving is good, consider the alternative.