By Eric Wilson-Edge
This is a story about how I accidentally walked five miles. I know, it’s a ridiculous statement to make. You either decide to walk five miles or you don’t. Choice is involved. Well, as you’ll see, you can keep going long after you meant to turn back.
My trek begins at Marathon Park. I’m here to meet Anne Larsen. It’s a rain soaked morning. A group of people huddle together on the sidewalk. Spotting Anne is easy – she’s the one with boundless enthusiasm.
Larsen is the founder and organizer of Level Road Runners (LRR), a running/walking group that brings together different members of the community. A majority of the “resident runners” are folks who live at Quixote Village or Drexel House.
Anne is a runner, has been for close to two decades. She is motivated and ready to get going. She welcomes everyone then tells them today’s course. Larsen holds out a deck of cards. After each mile every runner will get a card. The person with the best hand at the end wins a gift card.
“We do little incentives every month to keep people excited about running and participating,” says Larsen. Cars rush by us down Deschutes Parkway. Anne has been kind to stay at the back. I don’t run.
Larsen started LRR in April of this year. The group meets several times during the week to go on five mile walks or runs. Each participant signs a contract that essentially says “you’ll show up or let us know.” Everyone goes at their own pace. Larsen says about 20 people from Drexel and Quixote are signed up and about 12 are really active.
Anne has coordinated volunteers and local businesses t0 supply the resident runners with the proper running gear – shorts, shirts, shoes. Often, she throws in additional gear and incentives from her own pocket. The runs typically start at either Drexel or Quixote. Today’s route will travel up towards the brewery, down Capitol Way and around the lake.
“The goal is for resident runners to connect to a whole bunch of other people and for volunteers to get the story behind someone else beyond what you read in media about homelessness,” says Larsen.
At this point I’ve been walking for close to two miles. Anne sprints down the sidewalk to hand people their cards. Mike and I strike up a conversation. He’s holding a queen and a seven. He doesn’t know that much about cards so I tell him he’s off to a good start.
Mike currently lives at Drexel House. He’s middle aged with a kind face and ready smile. He can’t run because of the arthritis in his feet. Mike used to be a warehouse worker. We fall right in like we’ve known each other for years.
The rain stops. Mike and I are drenched. We pass over the freeway and turn into the neighborhood surrounding the Capitol. The trees are full, the sidewalk heaves and drops. We talk about the Seahawks and the Super Bowl.
“I’m finding positive things to do with my life to get me out of the situation I’m in,” says Mike. The last few years have been hard but Mike wants to focus on the future. He mentions his three daughters and how they are his inspiration.
We round the lake. We make a joke about being the caboose as we pass an old train car. Mike has added an ace and eight to his hand. He hopes to return to school. Heavy lifting isn’t something he can do anymore.
Everyone claps when we arrive. A volunteer hands us each a cookie. Anne gives Mike his last card – an eight. He won.
To connect or learn more about Level Road Runners, follow the group on Facebook.
