Cumulative miles: 22
Running on paved sidewalks has pro's and con's and it behooves middle-aged runners to consider the advantages and the downsides of the surface. The advantages are that it provides a safe surface to run on unencumbered by any moving vehicles. It is also an even surface, by and large, and that is helpful for runners working on their gait and for runners who like to run in low-light conditions. The downside of running on paved sidewalks is that it makes running a high-impact activity with long-term repercussions on the health of the knees. So, your gait, the cushioning of your shoes and the flexibility and strength of your knees becomes even more important factors in your continued running on paved sidewalks. Fore-foot strike might reduce the impact on your knees but it may affect your gait while too much cushioning in a shoe might cause pronators to put excessive strain on the tendons of your feet. In addition, consider increasing your mileage gradually as you work on your strength and flexibility in your legs.
I recently watched the documentary, 8: The Mormon Proposition, about the "secretive and decades-long involvement" of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints (aka, the Mormon Church) in the movement to stop, stall, and prevent gay rights. After viewing the documentary, I was more curious about the activities and philosophies of the church and especially, its leaders, who are deemed by the Mormon church to be prophets that communicate with God directly. These prophets, as it turns out, have publicly made very bigoted and racist comments in the name of God. For example, here's a "law of God," as relayed by one of their most regarded prophets, Brigham Young, on the African race and miscegenation:
"Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Volume 10, page 110.)
As of this writing, the Church of Latter-Day Saints has yet to apologize to the Africans, African-Americans and the world in general for these racist, hateful, bigoted, and mean-spirited words. For Mormons who consider their prophet's rantings as the genuine word of God, I wonder how they rationalize such egregious statements on race and human equality such as the quote above by Brigham Young.
