Some context for my Haiku. At the age of 74, I take great joy in just moving my body and slowing down to see and breathe it all in. I am done chasing PR’s and find great joy in a walk/run daily hour in Nature. I believe that in “birth” I won the ultimate lottery and that
a daily renewal of “awe & wonder” on the trails keeps me humble, joyful and kind.
A few weeks ago you were asking people to comment on things that one would tell a younger self. This is a definite answer to that question....enjoy the journey....be thankful for what you have. I think stressing about you purpose is a waste of energy.
Lately I have been trying so hard to find a "why" that I forgot how happy I am right now. I was so focused on what is going to come next that I forgot that right now is pretty sweet. I do better when I stay in the moment rather than 1, 5, or 10 years down the line.
"What if a beautiful run through a place you love is achievement enough? What if a run through the trails of your favorite park is the art you’re trying to create, instead of an always-faster time?"
I feel like this is exactly what I needed to hear right now. Coming off two races where I didn't perform my best despite months of training, I've been feeling pretty discouraged. I put this pressure on myself that every race needs to be my best, and I feel like it's taking some of the joy out of racing. I've been trying very hard to reset and remind myself that sometimes just having the opportunity to run or finish a race makes me incredibly lucky. I should be proud of what my body is capable of, and excited about all the beautiful places I get to visit when racing. I need to print out this quote so I see it and remind myself before every run - thank you for sharing it!
Terrell, about ten years ago I started reading the essential writings of Thich Nhat Hanh and decided I needed to slow down and bring a mindfulness practice to my daily running. I am smiling a lot more and enjoying every run…
I loved this article. I would love to have a weekly discussion group like you have where you read books and discuss things. I like the idea of running just because, not needing a why. Although, I do like having races on my calendar to keep me motivated. So I guess sometimes I need a why:-)
I think it's a matter of personal needs or preferences; some of us are meanderers happy with many diversions on our journeys; others want to spend all their time in a beloved place. There is an excellent (brief) TED talk on this very topic by Emilie Wapnick, "Why some of us don't have one true calling" -->
i love the tweet! why can't we just amble through life and enjoy it. i hate when people ask what is your greatest accomplishment...where do you want to be in 5 years....bleah bleah bleah. i want to take every day and enjoy it and not have to prove my progress (or lack of) to anyone!
I am 2 weeks post-op from a Brostrom-Gould surgery on my right ankle. In the past few years several doctors told me to restrict my running, stop studying TaeKwonDo, find a low impact hobby. I was feeling down and decided that it might be time to slow things down a bit.
Then a friend (Patty) referred me to Dr. Drew Taft located in Derry, N.H.
I was always struggling to run at a pace that I wanted to compete at. I was never competing for first place, I just wanted to compete with myself and enjoy the ride. Whether I am running a half marathon, 5K, or a Spartan race, I always try to take in my surroundings (the scenery, the people, the smell in the air, and body language of the people around me) throughout the race.
I believe that Dr. Taft has given me the opportunity to get back to what I enjoy.
My Goals:
Crush my PT
Get back to my average speeds for a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon
Sit atop Killington Mountain during the 2022 Spartan Killington Beast race and take it All In!
I was in upper management at the last job I worked. It was a manufacturing plant that was open 24hours a day five days a week. My hours were brutal and more often than not, I was in there on the weekend making sure by Monday morning everything was ready. My wife said she was going to put on my tombstone... "I wished I would have worked more." They let go two days before my 20th anniversary there. To the company I was just someone they could abuse. My smart wife said, "It's just a job! Not your life." Luckily I was only 62 and now live by that saying. I only do things that I want to do, when I want to do them. I make time for the things I love and running is high up on my list. I guess the only way to describe it, is that it makes me feel good. Whether I go flat out or go for a leisurely long run, my body thanks me afterwards. I'm just thankful that at 71, I can run 26 miles and party afterwards with my friends. Life is too short not to do the things you love. Everyone stay safe....
I also love this one - great suggestion. I started running or I should really say, taking better care of myself, when I hit 50 five years ago and "realized" that I was always going to be the one taking are of my wife [I know, kinda' obvious, duh!] and decided to "do something about it". It gave me my initial purpose - my why. That has evolved somewhat for that care is still a driving force but I had forgotten how much fun competition could be. My why has added the drive to continue to improve on my running and my utter enjoyment of the run! It has made me a better spouse, better parent, better teacher and, hopefully, a better human!
If I can up in time on Sunday after a wedding on Saturday...I am registered for the Dutchess Classic!! Should be a blast if I make it! Beautiful part of our Hudson Valley where I live!
My go-to question is seldom "why?"...instead I prefer asking "why not?". Asking why not makes the default decision "yes, do it" unless there is a really strong need for caution. Asking why seems to make the default answer "no, don't "...and makes it too easy to stay in that comfort zone. Many of my most treasured experiences started with the words "hey, why not?"
Some context for my Haiku. At the age of 74, I take great joy in just moving my body and slowing down to see and breathe it all in. I am done chasing PR’s and find great joy in a walk/run daily hour in Nature. I believe that in “birth” I won the ultimate lottery and that
a daily renewal of “awe & wonder” on the trails keeps me humble, joyful and kind.
A few weeks ago you were asking people to comment on things that one would tell a younger self. This is a definite answer to that question....enjoy the journey....be thankful for what you have. I think stressing about you purpose is a waste of energy.
Lately I have been trying so hard to find a "why" that I forgot how happy I am right now. I was so focused on what is going to come next that I forgot that right now is pretty sweet. I do better when I stay in the moment rather than 1, 5, or 10 years down the line.
"What if a beautiful run through a place you love is achievement enough? What if a run through the trails of your favorite park is the art you’re trying to create, instead of an always-faster time?"
I feel like this is exactly what I needed to hear right now. Coming off two races where I didn't perform my best despite months of training, I've been feeling pretty discouraged. I put this pressure on myself that every race needs to be my best, and I feel like it's taking some of the joy out of racing. I've been trying very hard to reset and remind myself that sometimes just having the opportunity to run or finish a race makes me incredibly lucky. I should be proud of what my body is capable of, and excited about all the beautiful places I get to visit when racing. I need to print out this quote so I see it and remind myself before every run - thank you for sharing it!
Odd that one would need a why. . .there's always next lifetime. Enjoy what you have and go on! :)
Terrell, about ten years ago I started reading the essential writings of Thich Nhat Hanh and decided I needed to slow down and bring a mindfulness practice to my daily running. I am smiling a lot more and enjoying every run…
I loved this article. I would love to have a weekly discussion group like you have where you read books and discuss things. I like the idea of running just because, not needing a why. Although, I do like having races on my calendar to keep me motivated. So I guess sometimes I need a why:-)
I think it's a matter of personal needs or preferences; some of us are meanderers happy with many diversions on our journeys; others want to spend all their time in a beloved place. There is an excellent (brief) TED talk on this very topic by Emilie Wapnick, "Why some of us don't have one true calling" -->
http://go.ted.com/bA3V
i love the tweet! why can't we just amble through life and enjoy it. i hate when people ask what is your greatest accomplishment...where do you want to be in 5 years....bleah bleah bleah. i want to take every day and enjoy it and not have to prove my progress (or lack of) to anyone!
My Status, Outlook, & Goals:
I am 2 weeks post-op from a Brostrom-Gould surgery on my right ankle. In the past few years several doctors told me to restrict my running, stop studying TaeKwonDo, find a low impact hobby. I was feeling down and decided that it might be time to slow things down a bit.
Then a friend (Patty) referred me to Dr. Drew Taft located in Derry, N.H.
I was always struggling to run at a pace that I wanted to compete at. I was never competing for first place, I just wanted to compete with myself and enjoy the ride. Whether I am running a half marathon, 5K, or a Spartan race, I always try to take in my surroundings (the scenery, the people, the smell in the air, and body language of the people around me) throughout the race.
I believe that Dr. Taft has given me the opportunity to get back to what I enjoy.
My Goals:
Crush my PT
Get back to my average speeds for a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon
Sit atop Killington Mountain during the 2022 Spartan Killington Beast race and take it All In!
Complete my first Marathon in 2023.
And most important...enjoy the Ride.
I was in upper management at the last job I worked. It was a manufacturing plant that was open 24hours a day five days a week. My hours were brutal and more often than not, I was in there on the weekend making sure by Monday morning everything was ready. My wife said she was going to put on my tombstone... "I wished I would have worked more." They let go two days before my 20th anniversary there. To the company I was just someone they could abuse. My smart wife said, "It's just a job! Not your life." Luckily I was only 62 and now live by that saying. I only do things that I want to do, when I want to do them. I make time for the things I love and running is high up on my list. I guess the only way to describe it, is that it makes me feel good. Whether I go flat out or go for a leisurely long run, my body thanks me afterwards. I'm just thankful that at 71, I can run 26 miles and party afterwards with my friends. Life is too short not to do the things you love. Everyone stay safe....
I also love this one - great suggestion. I started running or I should really say, taking better care of myself, when I hit 50 five years ago and "realized" that I was always going to be the one taking are of my wife [I know, kinda' obvious, duh!] and decided to "do something about it". It gave me my initial purpose - my why. That has evolved somewhat for that care is still a driving force but I had forgotten how much fun competition could be. My why has added the drive to continue to improve on my running and my utter enjoyment of the run! It has made me a better spouse, better parent, better teacher and, hopefully, a better human!
Haiku for me:
I run just to run
There is no destination
I arrived at birth
I loved the quote you have at the end of this post. I’m going to repost it! Thank you. 👍🏼
If I can up in time on Sunday after a wedding on Saturday...I am registered for the Dutchess Classic!! Should be a blast if I make it! Beautiful part of our Hudson Valley where I live!
My go-to question is seldom "why?"...instead I prefer asking "why not?". Asking why not makes the default decision "yes, do it" unless there is a really strong need for caution. Asking why seems to make the default answer "no, don't "...and makes it too easy to stay in that comfort zone. Many of my most treasured experiences started with the words "hey, why not?"