MLK Day

Today is the day we all have off from work, in commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. and his struggles for equality for all people, regardless of race, creed, etc.  I myself am not big on reflection for the most part, and do not typically find myself being too introspective in regards to what he did for our nation.  I am fully aware, however, of what he did for my non-white  friends, neighbors, and colleagues who otherwise would not be where they are today without his struggle and sacrifice.

I did see a quote of his today that struck me:

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

While it has obvious implications for running, I think it speaks volumes for how he faced his goals, what he sought to accomplish, and how he went about it.  If anyone would have had the right to give up due to the hardships and seemingly impossibility of the task, he would have.  However, what he was fighting for was so important to him that he would have done anything to keep it moving forward.

Many of us will not face the challenges he faced, or such a monumental problem to attack.  We all do have, in all of our lives, our own challenges to need to be addressed.  The best way to do so it to simply keep moving forward  towards your goal, even if and when you are pushed back.    

Cherished Moments

I was on a long run the other day and for some strange reason I began to think about some of my friends that had passed away. I know that sounds morbid but you just never know where your mind may wonder while running. I think that is one of the aspects of our sport that I enjoy so much. A run is sort of like a box of chocolates. (lol) Anyway, it occurred to me that some of these friends that had passed were not really much older than me. I would guess that they had between 10 and 15 years on me. That may seem like a lot of years but when you are pushing 60 it is a relatively small number. I am thankful for my walk in life that had included gentleman like Jimmy. Jimmy and I usually had a difference of opinion at times but we never allowed that difference to cause us to fall out of our friendship. We were brothers in our cause and our desire for others to find truth. That seems to matter more than always being in an agreement with each other.

So what is the point? My thoughts caused me to think about how quickly time passes. We run through life with set goals and ambitions. We hear the call to reach the top rung of the ladder and find our nirvana. We are so busy with the next new achievement that we can’t enjoy the one we just finished. We forget to enjoy and soak in the present cherished moment. What cherished moments have you missed because you were so busy looking for the next one?

A cherished moment doesn't have to be about a great achievement or goal accomplished. The corporate world wants us to believe we will never find our contentment without their latest product. Actually, I have finally realized that a cherished moment is more about our time. It can be something as simple as laughter around the diner table with your loved ones, having lunch with someone, or watching a sunset while fishing with one of your old friends.

I think my cherished moment on this running  day was just remembering how blessed I had been over the years with friends, family and discovering our sport. So what about you? Do you find your mind and heart cluttered with life’s issues?

 Lace em up and get out there. There is a moment waiting to be discovered just for you.

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A Red Clay Run

I was out on a long run the other day and happen to notice a freshly plowed corn field. My run routes include several of these type fields but I seldom allow myself to give them much of a thought. It was a little different that day due to my mind started to think about the winter months and how the barren red clay field was in transition. The once thriving corn field lay turned under and useless.

We see our lives that way sometimes. Every thing seems to be running smoothly and then one morning we wake up to discover somewhere along the way, the heat on the job, a family disagreement or maybe a nagging health issue has caused us to become ineffective with every thing we do. It wasn't a sudden change but one that wore us down one day at a time. Our lives appear to be plowed under.

The one thing I also realized was our lives are in need of rest at times just like the crop fields. It is good to stop and be still. To allow time to think, ponder and determine where our lives are heading and if a change of course is required.

As I was headed back I passed another field that was almost directly across from the field I had passed earlier. I noticed that this field had also been plowed under at some time but it had also been raked and re planted. It appeared to be a winter hay or oat planting. The fresh green sprout had lifted their head about 1 inch up from the nurturing soil. A new birth that had probably repeated itself hundreds of times. I found an encouragement with this newly planted field. Sometimes our lives may seem empty, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Maybe we are in a season like the empty plowed corn field; waiting for the next great planting. I guess it depends on who you consider your farmer to be.

So lace em up and get out there. There are red clay fields out there that can provide an answer. 

Planning Ahead

I have been running competitively, off and on, since I was around 12 years old.  One thing I have never done, however, is really sit down, at the beginning of the year, and plan out my racing schedule.  previously, I have just done whatever sounded fun at the time, with no real coherent strategy.

Granted, I am not aiming to win any  of these races--there is little chance of that.  I do think, though, that if I form a plan, I will have more motivation to keep pushing through those harder workouts, days I want to go back to bed, or when I eye that bag of Doritios in the pantry.

I also have an eye towards a couple new, more challening events, that I am sure I could not accomplish without a more long-range view.  The first of these is the Spartan Beast, a 10-12 mile obstacle race held in November.  The other is the Harbison 50k trail run, held in January 2014.  Both events are either longer, or much more difficult, than anything I have ever tried before, so I think a year-long plan would be beneficial.

so, here is what I am thinking about for the coming year:

February:  Make my Day 12k trail run
April:  Palmetto 70 mile Relay
May:  New Heights 5k Trail run
June: Warrior Dash Carolinas 5k
July: XTerra 21k Trail Run
August: Table Rock 15k Trail run
September: Irmo Dam run 10k
November: Spartan BeastCarolinas
December: Rudolph's Rampage Trail Half Marathon
January: Harbison 50k

I would love to hear what anyone else if planning to do, or any new or interesting events.  If you want to join in any of these I plan to do, let me know--the more, the merrier!

Resolve to run

I know most of you that read this are runners already. However, I am sure you have friends or family who are now interesting in getting in better shape, improving their fitness, or losing weight. This article from Runner's World is a good overview of how to get started, and a good one to share with folks. It is also a good reminder that running is one of the most simple things we can do--just get out there and do what you can.  I challenge you all to share this, and your own love of running, with others this year, not only for their benefit, but for yours as well.