8 ms·

There is an elderly gentleman (71) here in Miami Beach that has been running the same 8 mile run for 49 years now, every single day[0]. I think he's missed a fe

There is an elderly gentleman (71) here in Miami Beach that has been running the same 8 mile run for 49 years now, every single day[0]. I think he's missed a few days over that span. It's both incredible and awe inspiring (and maybe sad depending on how you view it) to see folks repeating the same physical feat every day for their entire lives. A college friend of mine wrote a book about him if you're curious[1]. [0] https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2022/10/12/miami-beach-runner-raven-streak-continues https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2022/10/12/miami-beach-run... [1] https://www.amazon.com/Running-Raven-Amazing-Community-Inspired/dp/0806538422 https://www.amazon.com/Running-Raven-Amazing-Community-Inspi...

baby 3y ago
We have a similar person in Lyon. Everybody cheer him on when he passes them by. He always wear a red pair of shorts. No idea if he’s still doing it though…
- askiiart 3y ago
  Reverse Tom Scott: physically fit with red shorts.
wslh 3y ago
There are, for example, buddhist monks that repeat the same ritual for their whole life. The sadness could be in the eye of the beholder.
- rottencupcakes 3y ago
  I’ve always thought that there is nothing sadder to behold than a buddhist monk.
  - wslh 3y ago
    This was in response of the parent comment. For some people running is closer to meditation than to a physical activity looking for performance in terms of speed and distance. Also, there is a mention here about the book "What I Talk about When I Talk about Running".
julianeon 3y ago
I was running up Twin Peaks in SF today when a woman in a car called out to me and asked me a question about the entrance to the park. I stepped into the road to answer her, and didn't pay attention. A jeep swerved around me (fairly close) while honking. It was a reminder that, if you want to run for a long time and you're growing older, you've really got to think hard about safe routes & how to stick to them. For example, for this guy, if you're going to run 8 miles for 50 years, then safety would be the top concern - especially in your 70's. You can't do much better than a beach route. Soft surface, no cars, no way to screw up and fall and easily injure yourself: that scores like a 10 out of 10 for a running route. And 50 years of daily running can add up to a lot of risk. For example, 1 close call with a car every 1,000 runs = 18 close calls over 50 years. I'd probably make the same choice in his position.
- sixstringtheory 3y ago
  It seems the odds eventually became stacked against the running man in Charlottesville, VA https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20859405/locals-remember-charlottesvilles-running-man/ https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20859405/locals-remember-...
  - brianbreslin 3y ago
    Wow, I went to UVA in the early 2000s I vaguely recall seeing him run once or twice. Had no idea he was a former student who never left. Just thought it was a quirky townie who was another interesting character of cville.
- asdfman123 3y ago
  It goes without saying that an easy way to reduce risk is to dress like you’re going to a disco party during the day and cover yourself with lights at night.
  - mensetmanusman 3y ago
    Don’t use lights, use retro reflectors.
brutusborn 3y ago
Just curious, what point of view makes daily running seem sad? Is the premise that he missed out on ‘better’ things? Thought I’d ask since hearing these stories of old healthy people brings me so much happiness.
- irjustin 3y ago
  > Just curious, what point of view makes daily running seem sad? If I was to guess, it's similar to the tone of the article. You can't beat time. Eventually they'll be forced to stop and there's a particular sadness in watching those who used to be able to do great feats no longer do them. For me, it's the same sadness as watching a sharp mind like my grandfather's succumb to alzheimer's. It's not quick, and it's not painless for everyone involved. For me, it was years watching him forget me, his daughter (my mother), and eventually language all together. Better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all?
  - saiya-jin 3y ago
    > Better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all? Absolutely, otherwise what's the point of living if not experiencing life in its more intensive (more rewarding but also more hurting) aspects? Similar to ie mountaineers and various other extreme sports folks, they all love the life more than average Joe since they experienced how much it can give if you push it further. Despite what some think they are not suicidal, in contrary, they keep doing what they love despite the increased risk of losing it all prematurely. No adventurer regrets doing adventures when looking back.
    - probably_wrong 3y ago
      > No adventurer regrets doing adventures when looking back. That's literally survivorship bias. I wonder how many (say) climbers died in the Himalayas thinking "I wish I hadn't done this".
- brailsafe 3y ago
  I agree, but I can also view such strident commitment to a fixed set of ideas to be pretty unimaginative, or lacking in categorical ambition, lacking in exploration perhaps depending on the person. My father for example has not been on a plane in 34 years. Not for any legitimate practical reason, though he'd come up with something if prompted; almost like he's archived his exposure to the world in 1989. He has no idea what it's like to even book a flight, how much it really costs, how security procedures have changed over time, and has no ambition to ever leave the continent.
0xbadcafebee 3y ago
Take a deep breath. Let it go. That's 1 out of 670 million (if you live to 80). Just being alive is incredible and awe inspiring.
- pr0zac 3y ago
  I'm not quite sure why, but reading this post gave me more anxiety than anything else over the last few weeks. Maybe the awareness of the finite nature of life.
cactusplant7374 3y ago
Beach sounds like a good way to get injured if you aren’t a barefoot runner.
- Chris2048 3y ago
  I thought so too - sand can be uneven and shifting, an easy way to damage an ankle if you aren't paying attention. Then again, maybe the brain eventually becomes skilled at adapting to it?
noufalibrahim 3y ago
This is really how old school martial artists in traditional forms like Karate are. They practice the same things every day. They live to an old age and even then are quite nimble and strong. The OkinawanSpirit youtube channel has interviews with several of these masters and it's fascinating to watch https://www.youtube.com/@OkinawanSpirit/videos https://www.youtube.com/@OkinawanSpirit/videos
js2 3y ago
I read that book! (I've read all the running books...) Thank your college friend for me.
jeff_d_miller 3y ago
It's incredible, no question about it. But it's also incredibly sad. I mean, you have one life. One. And you spend 2-3 hours every day on the very same f'ing route? Life has so much more to offer. Besides, 3 hours for 8 miles, that's not running, it's slowish walking. Not judging here, I'm not 70 yet, but I'm wondering how much of his health problems are actually causally related to this stubbornness. In a bad way.
- wellthisisgreat 3y ago
  > And you spend 2-3 hours every day on the very same f'ing route? Wait till you hear about people going to the gym 3-4 days a week. Repetitive activity has serious benefits in terms of outcome / mental load
  - jeff_d_miller 3y ago
    That's quite different. It's not the same gym for 50 years, what they do in the gym changes over time etc. I'm personally in the gym 2-3 times a week. Very different from running the same route for 2-3 hours every day for 50 years.

baby 3y ago

We have a similar person in Lyon. Everybody cheer him on when he passes them by. He always wear a red pair of shorts. No idea if he’s still doing it though…

askiiart 3y ago
Reverse Tom Scott: physically fit with red shorts.

wslh 3y ago

There are, for example, buddhist monks that repeat the same ritual for their whole life. The sadness could be in the eye of the beholder.

rottencupcakes 3y ago
I’ve always thought that there is nothing sadder to behold than a buddhist monk.
- wslh 3y ago
  This was in response of the parent comment. For some people running is closer to meditation than to a physical activity looking for performance in terms of speed and distance. Also, there is a mention here about the book "What I Talk about When I Talk about Running".

julianeon 3y ago

I was running up Twin Peaks in SF today when a woman in a car called out to me and asked me a question about the entrance to the park. I stepped into the road to answer her, and didn't pay attention. A jeep swerved around me (fairly close) while honking. It was a reminder that, if you want to run for a long time and you're growing older, you've really got to think hard about safe routes & how to stick to them. For example, for this guy, if you're going to run 8 miles for 50 years, then safety would be the top concern - especially in your 70's. You can't do much better than a beach route. Soft surface, no cars, no way to screw up and fall and easily injure yourself: that scores like a 10 out of 10 for a running route. And 50 years of daily running can add up to a lot of risk. For example, 1 close call with a car every 1,000 runs = 18 close calls over 50 years. I'd probably make the same choice in his position.

sixstringtheory 3y ago
It seems the odds eventually became stacked against the running man in Charlottesville, VA https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20859405/locals-remember-charlottesvilles-running-man/ https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20859405/locals-remember-...
- brianbreslin 3y ago
  Wow, I went to UVA in the early 2000s I vaguely recall seeing him run once or twice. Had no idea he was a former student who never left. Just thought it was a quirky townie who was another interesting character of cville.
asdfman123 3y ago
It goes without saying that an easy way to reduce risk is to dress like you’re going to a disco party during the day and cover yourself with lights at night.
- mensetmanusman 3y ago
  Don’t use lights, use retro reflectors.

brutusborn 3y ago

Just curious, what point of view makes daily running seem sad? Is the premise that he missed out on ‘better’ things? Thought I’d ask since hearing these stories of old healthy people brings me so much happiness.

irjustin 3y ago
> Just curious, what point of view makes daily running seem sad? If I was to guess, it's similar to the tone of the article. You can't beat time. Eventually they'll be forced to stop and there's a particular sadness in watching those who used to be able to do great feats no longer do them. For me, it's the same sadness as watching a sharp mind like my grandfather's succumb to alzheimer's. It's not quick, and it's not painless for everyone involved. For me, it was years watching him forget me, his daughter (my mother), and eventually language all together. Better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all?
- saiya-jin 3y ago
  > Better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all? Absolutely, otherwise what's the point of living if not experiencing life in its more intensive (more rewarding but also more hurting) aspects? Similar to ie mountaineers and various other extreme sports folks, they all love the life more than average Joe since they experienced how much it can give if you push it further. Despite what some think they are not suicidal, in contrary, they keep doing what they love despite the increased risk of losing it all prematurely. No adventurer regrets doing adventures when looking back.
  - probably_wrong 3y ago
    > No adventurer regrets doing adventures when looking back. That's literally survivorship bias. I wonder how many (say) climbers died in the Himalayas thinking "I wish I hadn't done this".
brailsafe 3y ago
I agree, but I can also view such strident commitment to a fixed set of ideas to be pretty unimaginative, or lacking in categorical ambition, lacking in exploration perhaps depending on the person. My father for example has not been on a plane in 34 years. Not for any legitimate practical reason, though he'd come up with something if prompted; almost like he's archived his exposure to the world in 1989. He has no idea what it's like to even book a flight, how much it really costs, how security procedures have changed over time, and has no ambition to ever leave the continent.

0xbadcafebee 3y ago

Take a deep breath. Let it go. That's 1 out of 670 million (if you live to 80). Just being alive is incredible and awe inspiring.

pr0zac 3y ago
I'm not quite sure why, but reading this post gave me more anxiety than anything else over the last few weeks. Maybe the awareness of the finite nature of life.

cactusplant7374 3y ago

Beach sounds like a good way to get injured if you aren’t a barefoot runner.

Chris2048 3y ago
I thought so too - sand can be uneven and shifting, an easy way to damage an ankle if you aren't paying attention. Then again, maybe the brain eventually becomes skilled at adapting to it?

noufalibrahim 3y ago

This is really how old school martial artists in traditional forms like Karate are. They practice the same things every day. They live to an old age and even then are quite nimble and strong. The OkinawanSpirit youtube channel has interviews with several of these masters and it's fascinating to watch https://www.youtube.com/@OkinawanSpirit/videos https://www.youtube.com/@OkinawanSpirit/videos

js2 3y ago

I read that book! (I've read all the running books...) Thank your college friend for me.

jeff_d_miller 3y ago

It's incredible, no question about it. But it's also incredibly sad. I mean, you have one life. One. And you spend 2-3 hours every day on the very same f'ing route? Life has so much more to offer. Besides, 3 hours for 8 miles, that's not running, it's slowish walking. Not judging here, I'm not 70 yet, but I'm wondering how much of his health problems are actually causally related to this stubbornness. In a bad way.

wellthisisgreat 3y ago
> And you spend 2-3 hours every day on the very same f'ing route? Wait till you hear about people going to the gym 3-4 days a week. Repetitive activity has serious benefits in terms of outcome / mental load
- jeff_d_miller 3y ago
  That's quite different. It's not the same gym for 50 years, what they do in the gym changes over time etc. I'm personally in the gym 2-3 times a week. Very different from running the same route for 2-3 hours every day for 50 years.