Friday, March 15, 2013

Traditions

It's one of the "rites of spring" here in Grand Rapids, the Irish Jig 5K. Thousands of runners, wearing green stuff, celebrating the arrival of spring.
The guys I run with at the YMCA have a tradition of turning our noon run into a run to the Triangle bar for beers and some corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. We revived the tradition a few years ago and always look forward to it.
We completed  the Robinette's Run last weekend, a Grand Rapids Running Club 8-mile trek that was followed by hot cider and donuts. The GRRC has been doing that run since long before I started running. At this time of year, anything can happen. We've run the route in sunshine, snow, rain, and ice so bad that Dave Hulst and I literally had to crawl back up a steep hill because it was so slippery.
I love traditions. The create a continuity between the past and the present. They give us common experiences, build friendships, and bind us together.

No comments: