COMPLETION

What occurs to me most in running races is the never ending lust to do our best. It is driven inside most of us by our own self propelled vision of how good we can be. It knaws away at you as a constant reminder that there is something inside of us all that simple will not allow a shody performance to prevail. Yesterday's 8 Tuff Miles race was one such instance. In completing the course, and having the pleasure of watching my 8 year old son finish the race also, I realized that in the moment of completion we take the next step forward. The moment of crossing the finish line strengthens the resolve of not only all participants, but their friends, family and others who cross paths with them.

This years run was not a stellar one for me, I felt off before the first mile and struggled to climb hills that I owned in my training. I was very nervous and anxious at the start, as I am at any race I do, but as I began to run I could tell something was off. As I ponder what happened I am reminded of other races that I simply aced and went beyond what I thought I could do. No runner ever really want to have slower times of course, but it is a simple fact of running and racing. Regardless of the reasons for a slower run than anticipated, the fact remains that in any shortcoming in life the opportunity to improve becomes more prevalent and presents itself to us as if to say "ok, now what?" What we do with that gift of sorts varies greatly and make many of us better people and stronger runners. In completing the lesson of a race or run we then get to move on and take the next step or opportunity. It is up to each and every one of us to determine what that will be.

My legs were sore today as I did over 12 miles. The course was 8.38 miles of pure hell at the pace I tried to run and eventually ran. I do not ever run that fast in training. My time was good enough for a 3rd place finish in my age group this year. It was slower than the year before and that bothers me but also reminds me that this is like anything else in life, you never really know what to expect until you are in the midst of it all. As I ran and was being passed by runners I outpaced last year I began to feel despondent but in the end I realized I was only 2 minutes off the year before and it was actually a good day after all. After finishing the race I walked up the hill 2 miles and met up with my 8 year old son and we walked and ran back down to the finish line. He was awesome and really surprised me at how fast he can run down those hills in short spurts. I got to run down the finisher chute twice yesterday, and the second time with him was a blast as we both sprinted towards the finish line and me ducking out at the last 20 feet or so and letting him cross and get his medal. It was his first 8 Tuff Miles race and he was still full of energy after the race playing with all his friends at the finish line. So many kids do this race every year and learn lessons they do not even know they are learning. Learning while having fun is "Child's Play" plain and simple.

This race also taught me about the evolution of certain people and of the race itself. I have had the fortune of running 4 of these in a row now and it is simply awe inspiring to watch everyone finish and accomplish, in many cases, something they never thought they could or would do. I really feel lives are changed for the better out there on the course and that moments of utter clarity are achived for many as a result of their accomplishments. This event has grown to encompass way more than a road race for St. John. I have witnessed all the twist and turns over the years not only on the course but in the nature of the race itself. We now have a new champion and new levels are being set by runners who simply defy human limitations and show us all how good we can be when we are dedicated and focused. A new course record was set, shattering the old one by over 3 minutes and a new breed of runners is emerging from the hills of St. John on race day. We will all need to be ready next year if we are to stay competitive as the field simply gets faster every year, thus challenging us to be better at all we do. Running lessons are always all around us and show us how to deal with life at large.

The road to any race ends at some point in time. Completion is put into motion when we cross the finish line and is then propelled into our daily lives. We then disperse our success on the course into other avenues of living and life. All runners know that running is a Metaphor for life, and that in our accomplishments we build bridges and in our failures we rebuild that which becomes broken. Yesterdays race was way more than a road race and puts forth the premise that growth and change occur no matter what we do. The evolution of the 8TM's show us that nothing remains stagnate and "All Things Must Pass"

If you are a runner I feel a kinship with you and wish you Godspeed and if you have never run I can assure you if you start it will change you life for the better. It is really a powerful activity that goes way beyond a fit body. See you all at the finish line next year! Be Well

WASTE

The bi-product a cluttered mind surely produces it, as does our simple act of living on such a fragile Eco system such as Earth. It is a killer is so many ways that if it is not contained properly we begin to suffer as a species and as an individual. I produce lots of waste like any other. The key to reduction of such a needless and frivolous array of physical and mental muddle is simply to consume less and then reuse whatever we can salvage and then let the rest go!!

I have a very simple formula for releasing the chaos that creeps into my mind daily. Well this is a runners blog so you know where I am going with this or do you? Is it that simple to go for a run and clear your head? The laws of physics are at play here as are the laws of karma, or mental and spiritual cause and effect. Is it safe to say as we run and clear a negative thought or emotion that it must be replaced with something else in order for the balance we all seek to be maintained? Does something else fill the void we leave when we process and release that which previously enters our being and invades our well being to the point of having to exorcise such thoughts? As we run and ponder we also plot and chart. We plan our next move and see them often in a clearer arena than when they are presented to us under the guise of everyday living. I find as one thought leaves another always follows and the filtering of these is a true balancing act. Nowhere in my 53 years have I found a better stage to attempt this feat than in running. It is simply the most comprehensive mind adjuster I have ever found and it has physical bi products that are unmatched as far as cardiovascular health is concerned. It's funny that I now view the physical side of running as the bi product when in fact myself and most people start running for the physical improvements it most certainly rewards us with. I long, pun intended, for the run for my mind now and not my body. It has had such an effect on me that I, like many other runners, crave the run. An addiction for sure in my case, as is for many other runners, but the effects in this case are positive overall vrs. what occurs in more traditional addictions such as substance abuse and alcohol. The running junkie that I have become does crave his fix. Yes his fix, as that is what I attempt out there on the trails and roads, to fix that which is not acceptable to me as a person at this stage of my development.

Be it a 3 mile jog or a 20 mile long tempo run, the simple act of running produces an avenue of opportunity for anyone who tries it and will reward anyone who devotes to it. The greatest gift I ever gave myself was making the time to run. It's like being granted a wish and you wish for a thousand more wishes. When you run it becomes a constant flow of possibilities in which we are able to immerse in. Runners already know this inherently. Non runners ofttimes scoff at us and think us erratic or crazy to run in heat, hill, humidity and in the snow and in the mountains and on trails. I must concur because I thought the very same of runners before I became one. It won't take a non runner long once they begin to run to convert. I have a bumper sticker that says "Running is cheaper than therapy" Read between these lines and enjoy the ride of running as it will always take you to places you thought never possible. Remember, it is not the destination but the journey and waste must always be processed for anything positive to result from it. Thanx and Be Well.