On The High Price of Gas

OK, so another Distance Runner has been driving for a few weeks now and the price of gas has skyrocketed - is there correlation or causality? Probably not. I don't think Kenny is driving quite enough to alter the world market for oil. However, there is an interesting question of whether the high price of gas will affect Cross Country competition in the fall. Are we well-positioned to take advantage of any behavior changes?

I expect the high gas prices ($3.719 / gal was the best I could do this AM) will have an impact on high schoolers' travel this summer. In bike- and pedestrian-friendly areas, I expect less driving and more biking and walking. This could lead to some improved performances around Monroe County next fall. Not to get into "back in MY day" mode, but... when I first got married a "few" years ago, we could only afford one car, so Chris would drop me off on the way to her job and I would run home (~7 miles), or I would bike both ways. I went from being the most out-of-shape I had been since I had started running 9 years earlier, to being a real runner again, just over the course of the summer.

Do we stand to benefit more than others? Yes, Webster is a nice area for biking and running - many of the shopping areas (which are also high school employment areas) are quite accessible for bikers and pedestrians. Many of our team members live in, or near, the village, which affords them the opportunity to walk or bike to most summer destinations. I'm committed to find a way to bike to work at least once per week this summer. I hope the team can also get out of their cars and use routine daily activities to enhance their training this summer. I count 25 school days left after today, so summer is coming soon!