It’s been an interesting 5-month program as I’ve built toward my Oct. 2 marathon. I have to mention running every now and then because it’s as much or more a constant than fishing or writing for me. Even if there’s no event to train for, it’s usually the basis for all the rest of my fitness.

And yet I’m not perfectly disciplined and consistent either, the way I ought to be. This is why I suffer from almost chronic shin splints these days, I think. Unless I’m genetically pre-disposed to aching legs, I think I’ve brought it on myself by leaping in and out of running programs erratically at times. So, this year’s build toward the marathon has been an often discouraging fight against a painful condition that can’t really be fought against. I can always just quit and this cures the pain after a while but it also means weight gain and no marathon in the end.

But I’m writing about it today though because I’m on the upswing. And it’s hard to say it’s a trend; I’ve had a few good days now after dealing with the shin splints and some almost unprecedented knee pain. About four days ago I got my hands on a bottle of glucosamine and started with a few daily pills. This had

been a wonder supplement for me at a few tough junctures years ago, actually curing joint pains within a couple of days. And it’s doing the same for me now, incredibly. I can almost say that tonight my legs feel better than at any point in the marathon program. And with about 5.5 weeks to go, there’s no time left for resting and healing.

So, last night I ran my first half marathon of the training program and this morning I ran a tough woods trail for the first time this year. My muscles were taxed, my lungs were expanded and the legs feel worked but only sore in the ways they should feel. And I’m not writing an add for glucosamine here, I’m not on anyone’s payroll, but I wouldn’t believe in its miraculous healing powers unless I’d tried it for myself.

So, again, it’s just a part of my experience this year that I can’t completely skip as I keep writing. Fitness is the basis for all my other adventures and running is the basis of my fitness.