Historical Moments - Politics, Running, and Self-Limiting Beliefs
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.