Welcome to MONDAY!!! I hope yours started off exactly the way you wanted OR that you made the way it started exactly what you need! I did the latter ... with a run!
I had the good fortune of excellent running weather this morning. It was the kind that was cool enough to not require bringing water along (although I did anyway) and that didn't suck the very life out of you just by being out in it. In fact, there was even a nice, little breeze going on that I thoroughly enjoyed even though it punctuated the fact that I didn't get my hair back very well, so it kept getting in my way:
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| And, not until today did I notice there's an actual right-side-up orientation to that headband. Who knew? You're not going to today ... my hair's in the way of that, too! |
One thing in this whole running gig I've not forgotten is the very person, named Ed, who encouraged me to run my very first Half. The story of 5 years ago goes like this:
Ed (who is a runner and knew I was embarking on my own adventures): Hey, you should really think about running this Half I've run for years.
Me: You are out of your mind.
Ed (looking at me like, "Um, I'm really not"): Why not? There's no reason you can't.
And, I remember stopping and thinking about it long enough to at least consider. And, soon enough, I considered it done. At least 'done' enough to work toward!
ANYWAY, I hadn't seen him in a couple of years until I ran into him today. After a quick catch-up, he said, "Yeah, I'm still running, but that's only because I finally gave in and stopped worrying about beating my time."
Now, granted, he was talking about his own Personal Record and not that he was trying to beat the field. But, I still stood there stunned. Never in my wildest dreams did it cross my mind he really concerned himself with time. He is older than I, he has a knee (or two) issue, and he just keeps going along doing his own thing. I couldn't really even wrap my brain around the idea that he cared about time. I said to him, "Okay, you need to get that one of the inspirations I had to not worry about time was you !" I think the look on his face conveyed he realized, on this topic, he might be a better teacher than student of his own advice!
He also mentioned that he has his eye on running in the October Half for which I've already signed up, so, of course, I had to get all rah-rah at him to do it! I reminded him of the flat course we've been promised (fingers crossed!), that it sounds like a fun one, and that he should just keep going! Look, one of my running inspirations can't turn tables on me; I had to be in his face a little bit!
As we parted, I not only hoped he would be in the starting gates in October, but I was also thankful I heard what he intended for me to hear those years ago and not what he was telling himself. I appreciate his heart of a teacher although I was sad today to learn he was battling with himself. Who needs a battle especially with yourself?!
To that end, let me remind you of my foundation: Your deal, your way. Make whatever it is you're taking on work for you in a way that fosters forward motion instead of creating an eventual stopping point. I don't even want to compete with myself. I just want to keep going ...
And, to that end, I keep it going tomorrow! I'll see you after the morning run!
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