peace....and running in "Pure Michigan"
The Pure Michigan title will most certainly sway some of my routine Ohio (aka Michigan haters) readers away from this edition of the blog, but it's all I've been thinking about this week. It is so beautiful running outside this time of year. Pure Michigan. I hope they'll read anyway.....I admit, my opinion may be slightly skewed. Because I'm in "taper mode" awaiting the Marine Corps Marathon, and finally have the increased confidence of "yes, I may actually be able to do this thing" setting in upon me, I feel very peaceful and prepared for the next few weeks. However, that can't be all of it. I'm enjoying each and every step of my running and it's been so long since I wrote those words and even longer since I could actually say that without hesitation or an asterisk of "well, except for the pain I have in my leg"....I am almost giddy thinking about it.New found confidence and slight bias in mind, I set out Sunday for the reunion tour with most of the DWD team (Dances with Dirt) to run a 12ish mile trail run in glorious Michigan. Ted, Walter, Hoff, and I (aka Fiona or Red) began in a cool, crisp and perfect fall morning. The leaves were such a brilliant display on the trees they would make a Paul Cezanne painting jealous!
Thoughts from the run......
- I was able to keep pace with the guys! No way! (I not so secretly know they were slowing their pace to accommodate me....but I was increasing mine to more closely meet theirs and not dying off! Small victory.
- I had very little pain in my leg (or a-- more specifically). Newton Running Shoes? Massage? Better running form? Rest? Motrin? Who knows. But keep it coming!
- Deer don't really seem all that afraid of humans, or maybe we all looked harmless in our running and not hunting gear? Awe...how pretty the deer was!
- In the frantic pace of life so many of us keep, isn't it wonderful to spend 2+ hours with friends talking about life and "whatnot"? (Life really isn't whatnot but those who were teens in the 80s may get my social reference....)
- I am so grateful I'm a runner......
Running has done more for my pursuit of peace in my life than anything else I can articulate. It is not because it comes easy to me. On the contrary, I believe I defy the laws of nature as my freakishly short legs lumber along rather than glide like I see many others do. Still, I persist. And in my stubborn pursuit, I find pride in my continuation towards something that doesn't come easy to me, and even more so in my marathon running (something less than 1% of the world's population does.)Recently, when I was talking to my Dad about the DWD race and how his little girl (ok, I'm not so "little anymore" but to him, I will forever be) was running in the woods, over fallen trees, through mud/muck/etc, up/down hills with a bunch of guys for miles and miles and miles...... He looked at me, almost not sure how to respond....slowly a smile grew across his face to which he said "you sure are different".......20+ years ago, I loathed those words. I hated feeling different and an outsider with my peers. Today, I LOVE that I have the courage to do things that are difficult, that are out of my comfort zone, with people who aren't in my inner circle, and LOVE being different!If I chose the easy route, I wouldn't know what I'm capable of achieving, I wouldn't know how strong I really am, and I certainly wouldn't have found the great group of friends I now have in my increased running circle. It isn't in taking the easy or known path that I, or we, grow, but in doing what is difficult and taking the path unknown. "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long-range of comfortable inaction." John F. Kennedy. There are risks in life. But as Hoff said "you can't sit by the sidelines of life".......brilliant!A few more weeks, the trees in this lovely state will be barren of the kaleidoscope of leaves......get out there while you can and enjoy running or hiking or just being wherever you are.Peace and happy running......