For poets, inspiration comes from all sources: nature, relationships, food, etc. Though it could be the same for many runners (running to enjoy nature, spend time with friends, lose weight, etc.), I find that 9 times out of 10 it is other runners who inspire me with their stories. I met such a runner last week. As I was running. Imagine that.
I went to my running group hoping to do a bit of an easy run as I was not feeling up to pushing a pace. My friend Jessica felt the same, so we kept it steady and easy, able to talk along the way. We ended up running most of the way with a guy I had not met before, our new friend Ron. After random running chit-chat, I found out he was running a marathon in Kansas. I asked him why he picked that one and he said, "I'm trying to do 50. It will be my 42nd." Picking up the broken remnants of my imagined athleticism from behind me, I caught my breath and said, "you have done FORTY TWO marathons?!" And he said, "well I've done 52. 10 don't count." Oh, I think they do. He also said he only does about 3 a year. Well. What a slacker.
This past weekend I ran the Spring Thaw-- 10, 15, or 20 miles at North Park. I chose 15 and was happy to be able to keep up a 9 minute/mile pace. I was also just happy to be running. I ran with my friend Liz for the entire 15 but we went with other friends and ran into people we knew along the way. I realized how lucky I am to know so many more people at these events. Really great people. Kind, fun, and enthusiastic about life and health. I also realized that the experiences are what keep me running. While I love accomplishing goals, I never want to lose the experiences. I will never run 52 marathons. I may not do 5. But whether or not I ever do a marathon again after the Pittsburgh one is over, I am happy for the joys running has brought me so far and feel inspired at the very least to keep making goals- knowing that there are always going to be people who impress and amaze me along the way...and experiences that keep me moving forward.
If you'd like to use my Spring Thaw run as an opportunity to donate to my 50 in 50 goal for Kiva, check out the page here: http://www.kiva.org/team/50_in_50_by_50
States coming up: Rhode Island and Connecticut on March 19th and 20th; West Virginia on April 16th; and Alaska sometime this summer!
I went to my running group hoping to do a bit of an easy run as I was not feeling up to pushing a pace. My friend Jessica felt the same, so we kept it steady and easy, able to talk along the way. We ended up running most of the way with a guy I had not met before, our new friend Ron. After random running chit-chat, I found out he was running a marathon in Kansas. I asked him why he picked that one and he said, "I'm trying to do 50. It will be my 42nd." Picking up the broken remnants of my imagined athleticism from behind me, I caught my breath and said, "you have done FORTY TWO marathons?!" And he said, "well I've done 52. 10 don't count." Oh, I think they do. He also said he only does about 3 a year. Well. What a slacker.
This past weekend I ran the Spring Thaw-- 10, 15, or 20 miles at North Park. I chose 15 and was happy to be able to keep up a 9 minute/mile pace. I was also just happy to be running. I ran with my friend Liz for the entire 15 but we went with other friends and ran into people we knew along the way. I realized how lucky I am to know so many more people at these events. Really great people. Kind, fun, and enthusiastic about life and health. I also realized that the experiences are what keep me running. While I love accomplishing goals, I never want to lose the experiences. I will never run 52 marathons. I may not do 5. But whether or not I ever do a marathon again after the Pittsburgh one is over, I am happy for the joys running has brought me so far and feel inspired at the very least to keep making goals- knowing that there are always going to be people who impress and amaze me along the way...and experiences that keep me moving forward.
If you'd like to use my Spring Thaw run as an opportunity to donate to my 50 in 50 goal for Kiva, check out the page here: http://www.kiva.org/team/50_in_50_by_50
States coming up: Rhode Island and Connecticut on March 19th and 20th; West Virginia on April 16th; and Alaska sometime this summer!
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