Long Haul Running

I get a lot of fun emails. And over the years I’ve met virtually and in person many wonderful and interesting people. Most the emails I get are from people trying to improve their lives or the lives of others by becoming more active. It should come as no surprise that speedy runners trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon might go to someone else for advice.

I recently got an interview request from Jeff Clark, a runner, trucker, and writer who writes a column called “marathon trucker” in “Truckers News” magazine. I liked writing “The Penguin Chronicles” in Runner’s World and Competitor Magazine, but I think it would be great fun to write a column called “Marathon Trucker”. What a cool assignment. As someone who has had a terminal case of wander lust for my entire life, and as one who has spent years traveling by car and motorcycle all over the United States I have had many encounters with long-haul truckers. Once, while riding my motorcycle in a blinding rain storm, I signaled to the driver that I was going to tuck in behind the trailer and ride inside his wake. He gave me a big thumbs up and I spent the next couple of hours relatively warm and dry. Truckers, you see, are about as nice a group of people as you’ll ever meet.

As I thought about what it would take to be a running trucker, or a trucking runner, or – well – you know what I mean – I thought that it’s not all that different than what it takes for anyone to be a runner. Sure, a trucker may sit behind the wheel for 10 hours a day, and sure, their offices are traveling at 70 MPH, but running before, during, or after a trucking work day isn’t completely different than what most of us have to do.

The benefits for the running trucker would also be the same. The physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits that we all feel as runners would be just as robust for them as they are for any of us who run. In fact, the one advantage that the long-haul trucker might have is that they can run somewhere different nearly every day. I’d like that!

Anyway, let’s give all the road warriors out there – those with running shoes and those with 18 wheels – a big high 5. The one thing we all have in common is that we love being on the move.

Waddle on,

John “the Penguin” Bingham, Competitor Magazine columnist Author, The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.

Have a question for John? Write him.