INSPIRATION

It comes in many forms, sometimes in the least expected arena, other times it is so in your face that it is literally impossible to ever forget. It forges the foundation for completion for many. It has a power unseen yet a force that beckons.  As I traverse these hills and trails here I am always in awe of the accomplishments of others in regards to running and life in general.  I ask myself how do they do that?  I am quickly answered. That is the most amazing thing I have learned to love about running. The answers that flow as easily as my legs that propel me. They do it because they have simply decided that to not do it would be selling themselves and sometimes others short. I have run for many reasons, including family members, other athletes, and the age old adage that in order to improve anything in life it takes work, hard work, hill work and trail runs, elevation that scare many and humidity that fights you the entire way. I run for the love of nature and the inspiration that a cascading ravine or flowering tree can provide. I am inspired, believe it or not, by the utter stupidity of the human race to think we can ever defy nature. As I run through the National Park here daily I am always reminded how insignificant we really are as a race and often think about what my surroundings will look like when we are gone, because we will be gone. Evolution of the species is something that will eventually take our roll out of the equation for sharing this earth. And since we do such an utterly disgraceful job in sharing it with other species our time will be shortened and our marks of civilizations will be forgotten. How dare us to hold this "Superiority Complex" over other living things, and by doing so it filters into our beings and politics and religions until we ask a "God" to do things for us at the expense of others. You see, there is balance in ALL things, I see it so clearly when I am running here, the beauty of an Island Paradise, that when the balance is upset we all pay and suffer and our time here as a species is thus shortened. Inspiration to overcome this idea that I am better than my Muslim or Gay peers, to use an example, simple undermines our ability to utilize the earth as a true home. When you disturb the balance of one, all suffer. "God Blesses America" at the expense of other races and cultures and for that there is zero redemption on the ecological and spiritual scales, both tipping way to far to one side.

As the oil slowly creeps towards the shore line we are reminded of the upset in the balance of nature. Lust for the power that drives this laptop, or the car that I drive has given way to the worst oil disaster on record. Funny that we have survived tens of thousands of years without the oil, but now we are addicted, and in doing so once again have upset the Eco system and hence shortened our time as a species here. With the passing of my Brother 2 months ago I have used the term "All things must pass" on a number of occasions and must do so again. We are our own worse enemy, not terrorism, not flooding, not counter cultural thought, not oil spills, not political dissent, and surely not  "unamerican" thoughts. No we are doomed because we have the worst disease any society can manifest, as most disease is self inflicted, that being "Superiority Complex" and as this cancerous form of thought permeates society, we are reduced to a constant state of sorrow and turmoil. We have a handful of generations to reverse this horrid plague or we will soon be gone for good. Laws were made to be broken, but solemn truths are embedded in the nature and survival mechanisms of our DNA.  Either we peel the onion now or say goodbye.

The nature of a run is just that, nature. Running in literally programmed into our DNA, and by doing such we can connect with our ancients and understand and respect nature in general and in its purest form. When we run we are stripped down to primal forms and forces of nature, communing and accepting our surroundings for what they are, not what we want them to be. Wow, what a concept, accepting things as they are. A simple truth as far as nature goes but oh so hard to follow for a society that is out of control trying to change the rest of the world, yet ignoring our own short comings. A familiar human battle that each of us toil over for sure, but when governments start to oppress at the expense of others we take a few more years off out time here. Be it 2012, as the doomsayers say or 3150, it doesn't really matter, because the way in which we are killing ourselves is so avoidable, yet so far out of reach. Do we have inspiration to take back our earth from the corporations and politicians? Of course we do, but it remains to be seen if that alone is enough. As the dominant life form here we have a responsibility to all the other species and our selves to become better stewards of Planet Earth. I am going to run once again in the morning and in doing so I will be reminded of what future generations will be missing as we slowly destroy our fragile ecosystem. I will also be reminded that renewal is also Natures way,  so it is up to us. A simple choice starts the process, then action must follow. Little things do matter, as they set examples and are sometimes influential on others.

I am following a fellow runner who is running from Amsterdam to Barcelona, the equivalent of 50 marathons in 56 days. He is my human inspiration for the next few months and beyond of course. My spiritual inspiration lays in the ancient rock formations and ravines I will traverse in the morning as my legs drive me across this ancient volcanic island that was here long before man arrived and will be here long after we are gone. Be Well

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