Running 4 Your Life

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you cannot deny the fact that history was made last night at the Democratic National Convention as Barack Obama accepted the nomination for President.

The fact that there were two democratic candidates who finished the primary race so close together and the fact that both made history validates the belief that once that “glass ceiling” has been broken, it can be done again.

My husband Mark often makes fun of me because I find ways to connect just about everything to running. After Barack’s speech last night, I compared the race history-making bid for the nomination to the 1982 Boston Marathon “Duel in the Sun” between Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar. Both men in that race broke world records - it just seems a shame that they both did it in the same race.

When Roger Bannister ran a sub 4-minute mile, more people started breaking 4 minutes.

When Rich Benyo completed the double-crossing of Death Valley (300 miles), others followed in his footsteps.

When Kathrine Switzer broke the gender barrier by being the first female runner in the all-male Boston Marathon, she not only paved the way for generations of women runners to run Boston, but also proved that women can indeed run the marathon distance.

Roger, Alberto, Dick, Kathrine, Rich…all broke barriers that kept people from realizing their potential. Now Barack has broken barriers for many generations to come.

Someone has to be the first one to show others that something once “believed” impossible CAN be done. And, when they do, it is an historical moment.

In his book True Success: A New Philosophy of Excellence, Tom Morris states: “The quest for success always begins with a target. We need something to aim at, something to shoot for.”

In order to achieve success, we need goals. For me, part of the fun of running is choosing which race I’m going to run next…which challenge I’m going to take on. I choose a race, train for it, and when I complete it, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

That’s not to say that I never run just “to run.”  I love my days when I just go out and run along the river not focusing on hitting a certain time on my watch or covering a certain number of miles. And including these days in my training doesn’t mean that I don’t have a goal. My constant overarching goal is to stay fit and healthy, so every activity I do is in line with that ultimate goal.

Goals motivate us. Goals guide us. We all have short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal might be to cross-train 2 times a week whereas a long-term goal might be to set a personal record in a particular race. We need both.

I love setting my own goals and striving to achieve them. And, I love helping other people achieve theirs also. Most of us are more capable than we think we are. It may be time for you to re-evaluate what you want for yourself and others. Set some goals. I guarantee you will feel re-energized as you start working to achieve them.

Marcus Aurelius said, “Our life is what our thoughts make it.” This same sentiment has been said in many different ways since AD 100. Recently, 2 of my friends traveled to Quebec City to participate in the Marathon Des Deux Rives. Anytime you set a goal to run a marathon, a half marathon, a 10K, or even a mile, you have a training plan. But you’ve heard the expression, “The devil fools with the best laid plan.”

Sometimes our “plans” don’t always go the way we set them up - life has a way of sidetracking us. So, we adjust our goals. (more…)

The number one thing that keeps us from achieving our goals is fear. FEAR stands for False Expectations Appearing Real. How many times have you made yourself sick with worry (aka “fear”) only to realize that once you faced your fear and moved forward, it wasn’t so bad after all? We’ve all been there.

A long time ago - and I don’t even recall what it was in reference to - someone told me, “Leap and the net will appear.” Since then, I have leaped so many times - even though I was afraid - and the net appeared every time. Part of our fear comes from the famous “unknown.” If it is something we’ve never done before, it is scary. We might fail. But we’ve all failed many times, and we just keep getting back up and trying again.

My most recent “leap” was a real leap, not a figurative one. (more…)

As I was running down Spearfish Canyon last Sunday taking in the gorgeous view of the rocks, trees, waterfalls, and stream, I had lots of time to reflect. I’m not sure what mile it was exactly, but I think it was around Bridal Veil Falls when the words of Dan Milman, author of Way of the Peaceful Warrior, popped into my head: “There are no ordinary moments.”

I found myself focused on my surroundings, noticing things that I’ve never noticed before - even though I’ve run this course 2 other times. And, rather than just getting into a “zone” and running - not really thinking about anything - I took in everything my surroundings offered and reflected on all I have to be grateful for. Every moment is special - every moment is a gift.
Running in Spearfish Canyon is a truly extraordinary experience - there are no ordinary moments.

An extraordinary group of women gathered last week for the inaugural Women on the Move Conference & Retreat. We held the retreat in conjunction with the premier all-women Leading Ladies’ Marathon in Spearfish, South Dakota.

And, when I say extraordinary, that is not a strong enough word to describe these women. I cannot give an exact number, but the combined number of marathons and ultramarathons of our group of 10 retreat athletes and 8 coaches is several hundred. And, the list of different marathons, ultras, and hikes reads like a catalog of extreme challenges: Comrades in South Africa, Kilimanjaro, Badwater, Tahoe Triple, various Ironman Triathlons, Pike’s Peak - to name only a handful.

These “super women” (some of whom are 50-staters) aged in range from 39 to 68 with only 6 women under 50 in the whole group of campers and coaches. Women on the Move campers: Bonnie, Isabelle, Diana, Katherine, Anita, Jane, Benita, Laurie, Jean, and Peggy; coaches Kathrine, Jan, Lori, Mary, Chris, Elaine, Rhonda, and me.

Kathrine Switzer, running pioneer who broke the gender barrier at the previously all-male Boston Marathon in 1967, was our featured speaker and guest coach. For 3 days, we had seminars, round table discussions, and training runs. The retreat culminated in the stellar Leading Ladies’ Marathon and Half Marathon with Elaine Doll-Dunn, one of the Women on the Move coaches, as race director. Coach Mary of our group won the Half Marathon in a time of 1:22 (that’s really fast).

I am so inspired by all these wonderful women on the move. They include wives, mothers, grandmothers…all setting examples of facing challenges with dedication, commitment, determination, and personal achievement. I am humbled, grateful, and honored to be a part of such an extraordinary group of Women on the Move.

Last night I read an article called “Chasing Happiness Together: Running and Aristotle’s Philosophy of Friendship.” It’s been a long long time since I read Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics, and I should probably revisit it. According to Aristotle, everything we do, we do in pursuit of our ultimate goal - Happiness. And, “friendship” is a critical component of living a virtuous life and ultimately being truly happy.

Aristotle says that developing a friendship based on virtue requires time, familiarity, trust, mutual good will and mutual sacrifice. Running provides a perfect setting for developing friendships. (more…)

My last post mentioned that Fre and I would be stopping in Ogden, Utah - wrong. We decided to bite the bullet and head home. We covered about 1000 miles in our second day in order to make it back home. Good roads and nice weather made the trip easier. 1000 miles in one day is actually my driving PR (personal record). Another milestone in the old travelogue.

But that is not the milestone I have been thinking about today. The Boise Run/Walk group that I help coach has folks who achieve milestones every week. We had athletes today who completed their longest distances EVER today - some 3 miles, some 6 miles, some 17 miles! And, the accomplishment of 17 miles is no greater than the accomplishment of 3 miles…it is just different.

I am continually inspired by the tenacity and dedication of our athletes - and they ARE all athletes.  Some of them don’t yet call themselves athletes, but they will. Each week when they go a little farther than the previous week, they are getting stronger, fitter, and more confident that they can achieve the goal they have set.

I am proud of them all, and I am grateful to be a part of such a terrific group!

My trusty companion, Fremont, and I are back on the road to Idaho. We started yesterday - left Chicago and drove 750 miles to North Platte, Nebraska. It was an excellent day. My hotel accommodations in North Platte were the best I’ve had on this trip - fast internet connection and great customer service at the dog-friendly LaQuinta.

We’re headed to Ogden, Utah, today for one last stop before we are home. I am very grateful to have such a super traveling companion! Fre is the best!

A huge piece of competing in any type of event is the mental component. It’s one thing to embrace a physical challenge: we set goals, train, we eat right, and come race day, we are hopefully at our peak performance.

But how do we prepare mentally for what may await us on race morning? (more…)