Running the Race

For anyone who has walked/run a race, you can understand the gush of adrenalin that lights your feet. This is what is planted in my mind of the recent Portland Half-Marathon last weekend, the celebration of freedom. 

What I don’t recall much of, is the scenery. I do remember the people on the sidelines, cheering for those they know and for strangers alike. I do remember the kindness, care and encouragement shown to “those on the right” as they were passed by the speedier amongst us. I remember how I felt when I witnessed a t-shirt that supported the life of someone lost or battling an illness. I remember the woman older than I whose t-shirt said “Don’t Quit” as she passed me.

What I don’t remember are the long stretches between “fuel”, the sun beating down on me when I squinted through my sunglasses, the tightness at the back of my knee at 17 kilometres. I don’t remember those things because I was part of a larger group. A group which had done what we could to prepare and put faith in our training. 

And so it should be in our everyday life; don't focus on the trying times, look for support and a smile when you need it, encourage others, prepare for your goal, and keep going.

Celebrate wherever you are in your race, whatever it might be. If you don’t quit, you are always a Winner.

One more race, one more record, two more medals

What possesses us to accomplish more? What drives us to “do one more thing” before the end of the day? Seeing the results of our hard work is always gratifying, although not too many of us want to give up our sleeping-in Sunday to put on a pair of running shoes or to hit the books or fill in the blank with your goal.

We do it because We Believe! We have faith that our dedication will pay off and that eventually we will succeed. My last race in the sweltering heat of Disneyland (over 100 °C) was a smiling event! It is one kind of feeling to see the elite runners gracefully float through the finish line and to celebrate with them. 

But once again the memories that stay with me are not of the natural born athlete but of the lone walker/runner determined and often struggling to finish in spite of the heat, illness, injury or deformity.

To me, they are the true winners of the event. Personal Best has a variety of meanings and reasons, many of which we cannot see at first glance.

In a place of make believe, it was not the Fairy Dust,
it was just plain hard discipline that created their Magic.