Do you run?

So I have been running for nearly 25 years. I started logging serious miles while attending college in New Haven, CT. Little did I know how long I would continue and how far my feet would take me. It was not until a few weeks ago that I actually reflected on my running history, as well as contemplating the future.

For most, running is a solitary endeavor that requires a bit of persistence and planning. No treadmill workouts here, but rather traversing trails, roads and sidewalks in order to feel satisfied with the run of any given day. You can find the seasonal runners, plugged into their iPods, carrying water bottles and fashionably dressed in snazzy spandex. Others you might never see, unless you have to catch an early boat or you yourself fall into the category of a diehard runner.

I fancy myself a member of the latter, having trained in blizzards, driving rain with gale force winds, and used a head lamp to see in the dark, just to log the miles I felt I needed. There are a number of us on Martha’s Vineyard. We live here year-round. Usually we see each other out there on the road or at local races, discussing mileage, splits, and what pace we’re looking at running.

The summer road races on Martha’s Vineyard draw a motley crew of tourists, diehards, and locals. Everyone loves to talk about the Chilmark Road Race in August. Great, have fun and get a T-shirt to wear back in whatever city you live in. Scoops, Murdick’s, Run the Chop and the numerous races, both past and present, are all great races that are a part of the island’s charm.

However, the races run in the off-season bring out the serious runners that have the heart to brave the elements and test their mettle against whatever the island throws at them. The annual 20 miler in February would be the consummate example of just such a race. Rain, snow, wind or even a perfectly calm day with bright blue skies could greet you the morning of the race. What is guaranteed is that you will not be running it alone. That is a testament to the devotion of a dedicated runner.

My faster days are behind me now. I was able to run the nearly 10 mile loop from Our Market to the Triangle in Edgartown and back in about an hour when I first "washed ashore" more than 12 years ago. I never ran a sub-three hour marathon, but instead peaked at 3:08 and change. I did run Boston in 2000, with more than 25,000 other runners. I still get up before the sun and enjoy the ritual of it all. I can tell you where to run for any number of distances all over the island. Need to train on some hills? Yup, there are a bunch of hidden, little-used trails. The island proved to be the place where I excelled in both times and distances, as it has everything a runner needs to train and improve.

But enough about me; let’s hear your favorite route on Martha’s Vineyard, easy or tough. Do you like running in the State Forest or prefer the trails in the Menemsha Hills? Just a mile or two, or a long run for that upcoming marathon, let’s hear it!