Just Another Runner’s Perspective August 2025 Written By Gale Fischer
High Maintenence
“If you see me collapse, pause my Garmin.”
Running at its roots is a simple sport. It doesn’t require a great deal of athletic ability, and almost anyone can enjoy its benefits. There are professional runners among us, fast runners, slow runners, runners who run double-digit runs, logging more than fifty miles a week, and runners who run two or three miles at a time a few times a week. Whatever type of runner you are, we all share its most basic element of moving forward one stride at a time. At its most primitive level, all one needs to run is a pair of shorts, a shirt, socks, and shoes. You don’t need a gym membership. You can run almost anywhere at any time of the day.
When I began my running journey twenty-seven years ago, I went out for a slow four-mile run on a brisk October afternoon, wearing a cotton sweatshirt, cotton sweatpants, a pair of flat-bottom sneakers, and no watch on my wrist. Like my pace, my choice of clothing was not flashy. I had decided not to invest any money in my new hobby until I was certain I would stick with it. I continued my simple approach to running for the next four weeks, then decided it was time to make my first purchase for my new routine. I went to Duhnam’s and bought a pair of shoes. Although this first pair was not top of the line, they were designed for running, unlike the shoes I had been logging my miles in the previous month.
Running was beginning to rub off on me, and I continued with my simple approach to the sport, training for a half-marathon, which I completed six months later.
During this initial winter of running, I mapped out a four-mile loop around my house, marking each mile using the odometer on my pickup truck, and logging the bulk of my mileage on this route. Upon completion of this half-marathon, I decided I was ready to commit to the training required for a marathon. Although I remained simple with my approach, I decided it was time to up the level of complexity slightly by purchasing a basic sports wrist watch, allowing me to monitor my pacing for each mile of my training runs.
Completing my first marathon brought with it a high that I could have never predicted. I was hooked, and my curiosity for running turned into a passion. Through the years, the level of simplicity in my approach to running began to increase. Basic cotton running attire was no longer acceptable. Technical clothing was gaining in popularity and becoming a fashion trend in not only running, but also in most athletic activities, and more importantly, it made running physically more comfortable. My running wardrobe was becoming more complex with socks, underwear, shorts, shirts, pants, and hats made with moisture-wicking material taking up space in my dresser drawers and bedroom closet.
Electronic technology also began to increase the complexity of our sport, as races moved to chip timing. Some runners began running with smart watches with GPS technology to track mileage on the go. Now the majority of runners utilize GPS technology to track mileage, record pace, monitor heart rate, and analyze a variety of statistics for each workout. When a workout is saved on a watch, all of the statistics can instantly be downloaded to a multitude of running apps on one’s smartphone.
As the first few years of my running journey began to unfold, I continued to appreciate the basic elements of my sport, but also started to embrace the complex components that were becoming part of the running community. Eventually, my routine evolved into fifty to sixty miles a week, consisting of six days of running. Running satisfied my physical need to exercise and offered mental and emotional harmony. I had never considered the need for any other form of exercise, including stretching, strength training, or any form of cross-training.
Running gave me happiness, confidence, and balance. I experienced my first major injury in 2012, fourteen years into my running journey. In the years since, I have adapted my approach to the sport. A conversation I had with local runner, Dave Proulx, a few weeks ago summed it up best. Injury had forced Dave to take some time off from the sport. For his return, he has incorporated a variety of other activities. He commented, “Running involves much more than running.” This statement rings true for me. I imagine that anyone who wants to run longer distances for many years, cross-training is advised.
Injury for the last thirteen years for me has turned running into much more than moving forward one stride at a time. Maintaining my running routine has involved surgeries, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and massage therapy. A gym membership has become a requirement with the addition of spin bike sessions, laps in the pool, and strength training becoming part of my weekly routine. I have also implemented activities at home each week, including stretching, muscle balance exercises, and ice baths. All of these alternative activities help to keep me running healthy, while providing exercise options when time away from the sport is required. Through the years, I have always taken running with me when we travel. Packing for running when traveling has become a bit more complex over the years. A yoga ball, foam roller, dumbbells, and massage gun are examples of items that might accompany my wife and me when traveling. My wife has told me that I am high maintenance.
After almost three decades of running, staying in the game has become much more complex than when I set out for my first run back in October of 1998. What I do to enjoy my sport today may make me high maintenance, but whatever the level of complexity that my running routine has risen to, I still enjoy the simplistic components of my sport.
Until next time, this has been just another runner’s perspective