Running

Running is on the short list of the things I enjoy doing. I should clarify...when I say running, I mean jogging. Running for competition, running from stray dogs, running to find a mortar bunker and running for the bathroom are things I do NOT enjoy. I enjoy the peacefulness of it. It’s a great way to sort things out and work through problems that toil around in my head. I made some of the biggest decisions of my life after putting a couple of miles behind me. Back home I do enter races now and then, but I do so for the challenge to beat the clock or my personal record for that distance. Trying to beat the professionals and chase prize money are things I am A) not trying to do and B) can't do because deep down inside, I'm a slug. Oh sure, I run, ride my bikes, and do the outdoorsy physical stuff all the time to give people the impression that I'm a physically fit individual, but it's just a façade. I would much rather be sitting on a comfy couch or easy chair, watching TV, and letting my physique slide slowly into slothdom. Actually, that would be true but if I could only stay sedentary for more than a minute or two.

Now staying in shape in the IZ is not super difficult. We have pseudo gyms on most of the FOBs and if you can't find time in your crazy schedule to fit in a normal workout routine, there's always the "walk around in the heat with your body armor on" plan that is guaranteed to shed the pounds away. Sure, you'll decrease in tonnage, but it won't keep you fit, which is why you need to do some form of physical training (I hear they have yoga at the Embassy pool if you consider that exercise). For most sections, no one is watching over you to ensure you are doing PT. You are trusted to do this on your own because it only benefits you and your ever growing ass. Plus, wearing body armor sucks and if you aren't in shape, then it sucks even more. In an attempt to keep a certain level of fitness, I hit the gym about 6 days a week to put some miles on the treadmill and maybe lift some heavy objects to the point of exertion. When I can drag my but out of bed early enough, I'll even go for a real run near the designated areas that we are allowed to be outdoors without gear on. It's nice to be outside free of the collection of Cordura covered Kevlar that we wear all the time and although it is a small length of road that has to be repeatedly trampled over to accumulate any sort of real mileage, it's what we have. The route actually might be very beautiful if it wasn't for the T-walls (or Texas Barriers) blocking every view. You can see the frawns of the palm and date trees peaking over the top of the walls and there is a rumor that just on the other side of the barriers exists a river (oh the silly fables they tell). The dusty road is shared with other runners and a vehicle or two, but for the most part it's rarely used. In the heat of the day when the concrete walls have absorbed all of the Iraqi heat, running the route is like running through an Easy-Bake oven. There are "races" at the end of every month where you can sprint a 5K and get a t-shirt for. Last month's turnout was in the ballpark of 300 runners which is pretty good for a war zone and they ran out of shirts. I've even heard of a Baghdad Marathon, but I've yet to see any real information about it. Sure, I can knock out a 5K without much notice, but I'll need to invest a little more time into training for a 26 miler which is hard to do when you are limited to only 30 minutes a pop on the treadmill. What am I thinking? I'm not running a marathon! Maybe I've been in the heat too long?