Thoughts on the Run

Throughout life people are telling you to do things to be successful. In school it’s do the work to get the good grades so you can get into college. Then into a job it’s the same, do the work to get promoted and make more money. Everyone talks about getting to the top so that you will be successful.

What is the top though? It can’t be the same for everyone, right? I have met any people that are happy doing their part as a security guard, grocery clerk, and admin assistant. While they have their bad days like everyone else, they’re still happy where they are. For them, they are their top.

Take a look at the photo of a trail I ran this weekend. Can’t really see the trail because there was snow up to my ankles, but you can identify the path. As I was running up this path, I took a moment to lift my head, and saw this ahead of me. My first thought was that I’m almost to the top. I could kind of make out where that would be through the trees, vicinity of the clouds, and the time on my watch. Be nice to get to the top soon so I can relax.

Then I looked up farther and saw the moon. Was that really the top? So often we limit our view of what success is and what the top looks like. I don’t plan on winning a running race anytime in the near future due to many reasons. That is the top of my mountain. When I tell people I like to run marathons and ultras, I often get the questions about times and if I win. People defining my “top” for me.

Looking at the moon above the trail, there is a chance I could win a race. Maybe a sponsor out there finds my public speaking and writing skills valuable and would like to pay my bills so I can train more. Maybe I publish my book and people connect with it. Maybe I can run for more charities to make a different in the world. More opportunities are being presented to me, but it hasn’t all come together yet. The world is full of possibilities and I am ready to impact it.

My buddy Parrott tells me, “People are listening to you now. Better start running faster.”

My running hasn’t been about winning a race. That’s been an interesting conversation with my kids, but that’s a story for another time. It was, and still is, about redefining what I perceive my limits are. Even in school, I was not an athlete. Someone the other day called me an athlete and I did my best to not laugh. She said, “You are more of athlete then anyone else I know. You run 50 mile races!”

I never thought of it that way. My focus has been on getting people moving in some manner. Letting others know that you don’t have to run 50 or 100 miles, but you just have to do something. Take the stairs, walk at lunch, ride a bike, or stop eating fast food. Saying you will, making plans, and talking about it is a nice start. Moving forward with action is a bigger statement.

I still haven’t found my breaking point. As I write that, I feel like I have just put a time limit on when that statement will change. Come August 2012, I take on one of the hardest ultramarathons: Leadville 100 Mile Trail Run. The course starts at 10,000 feet and only challenges the mind and soul from there. If I can make it through this, I’m not sure what my next step would be … but I will define one.

For everyone else … define what your perceived limits are and then destroy them. Plow through what you think you could never do and don’t look back. If people tell you that you will not do it, find other people. With 7 billion people in the world, you can find a few that want what you want. Look for opportunity, stay positive, and move forward.