National Running Day: Where did they all come from?

Apparently, tomorrow is a day where we all run. Cool. Question is, where did all those runners come from? And why are they running only on one day?

Here I am, getting back on the road after a little holiday from running. What's that? A near traffic jam of cyclists, runners, walkers. Yes, it's my annual, what happened to my trail post where I talk about the fact that I run on that waterfront trail 12 months a year, just about every day.

Even as I was running tonight, I spotted a freaking road race across the street. Hundreds of runners. I didn't even know there was a race. What the heck?

Of the massively exploding running population, my favourite moment came while rounding a corner near kilometre 1, when this muscle bound guy grappling a water bottle came blazing past me. I was already going at a good clip. Something about how he passed made me almost want to gave chase. I just watched him go, and less than 600 metres, he stops and walks.. ah ha.. so I step it up again so that I'm 15 metres behind him when he looks back, picks it up... for another 300 metres.

He stops, I blaze past him, and never look back. As I was rounding a few more corners, I stepped it up while noting the year-long rollerblader going back and forth and the few other winter runners. I wonder if they recognize me.

Nothing much in that story other than the fact that it's actually kinda nice to see so many people take up running. I never remember it being like this even two years ago let alone seven years ago. Running gone mainstream?

On the training schedule, I'll quickly looking at the beginning of the fall training season. Ugh, which means I gotta get it back to the 35 mile week schedule pronto. I've got 11 miles on the week, got to get a 10 miler in very soon. Back to the packed trails.