9.29: Track Tuesday

COVID-19 “The Rona Edition”

A year ago today, 5.25.20, a police officer put his knee on George Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds until he died. A year ago today, I was horrified of another killing of a black man by police. What I didn’t know then but I know now, a week from now, a black man, Amhaud Arbury would be shoot while jogging while black. The focus of today is the anniversary of George Floyd’s death.

I’m not in the condition yet, to run 9.29 miles. I can run 9. 29 laps around on a track because today is track Tuesday. Instead of running in East Boston at the local stadium, I run on a track in Roxbury. Roxbury, is the historic and still the heart of the African- American community in Boston.

My one mile warm up was through Dudley square, around the Reggie Lewis Center and across the street from Boston police headquarters. Across the street their was a representation of a black person with their hands up and it had jogging on it, with a bloody bullet shot. I ran past the police head quarters last year and there were several of those crave out folks with different actions: jogging, playing, driving, etc…

This was the only one that was still up. I don’t know what happened to the rest.

When I got to the track, I ran 9.29 laps around. While running, I ran a couple of under 10 min/miles. One was 9.54, the other 9.43. There were a couple of black women walking and one man working it out on the steps.

I did my 9.29 laps without stopping. I was thinking how long 9.29 minutes is. How long to have someone’s knee on your neck and you can’t breathe or move. Ugh.

I’m still here. I’m still standing, I’m still black and wonderful.

4.43 miles for Floyd’s track Tuesday. 0: 45:16, 10:13min/ml