First Summer Track Tuesday

Era of…..WTF…………………………joy and resistance

The first summer Track Tuesday arrived with rain and fog. We were also short on pacers today. Luckily, today marked the start of mile training, and it turned out to be a solid workout.

The workout was 4 x 400 meters with two minutes of rest between each rep, followed by 4 x 200 meters with two minutes of rest between each rep. Both sets were supposed to be run at mile pace. It was a good session to work out some of the kinks.

The problem? My ass was going much faster than where I should have been pacing. Oops.

For the 400s, the target pace was 2:38. Instead, we were running 2:15, 2:00, and 2:20. I never hit the 2:38 mark. That tells me I need to work on pacing the 400s and learn to slow down. The Team Red ladies were quick to remind me of that.

The 200s were supposed to be run at 1:15 pace, and I overshot those too. Lord, I’m glad everyone put me in check.

What also helped was the smaller turnout. The rain kept a lot of people away, so we had a nice, manageable group. Actually, all of the pace groups were small and manageable today, which made things run smoothly.

Even on the track, some of the pacers were talking about the World Cup—getting tickets, going to the fan pavilion, and taking in all of the activities. As they talked, I couldn’t help thinking about the people from brown countries who have been turned away in the United States. We are still dealing with ICE raids. Citizens are being kidnapped. There is a reinterpretation of history happening under this administration. It is hard for me to think about global unity when the president is a corrupt bully.

Yet I also understand the need for joy. I understand the need for hope, celebration, and moments that bring people together. I get it.

In Boston, the Scots are here in force. Some estimates put the number at around 20,000 Scottish visitors. It even made national news that they drank bars out of beer.

But I found myself wondering: what if those visitors were from Central America or Africa instead? Would the same welcome, openness, and spirit of global unity be celebrated? Would the headlines be as lighthearted? Would the coverage be as enthusiastic?

We will never know.

Those were some of the thoughts running through my head as I made my way around the track today.