Time to shine

I can’t believe it. We’re just a couple of days away from heading down the road to one of our most ambitious running goals ever. Actually, I could remove the word “running” from that last sentence. In a matter of hours, I and 19 of my closest running buddies will be training for a 26.2 mile jaunt through the colourful streets of Toronto, Ontario. Yup, for all of us, it will be our first ever marathon. A most memorable experience for sure. Yeah, we’re a little nuts.

I’ve tried, over the past several months, to point out to my team mates just what we’ve signed-up for. As I sit here just a few days away from training, I’m not so sure even I know what I’ve signed-up for. The marathon does that to you, or so I’ve read. I make no claims about my marathon experience only to say, I have none.

But what I lack in marathon experience, I make up for in enthusiasm and desire as do many of our Club members. I want this so badly, I can taste it, not just for me, but for the dozen-or-so other souls in our group that have made a commitment to sacrifice so much to get to that starting line in Toronto. We’re about to find out what we’re made of, what drives us, and I know we’ll be flabbergasted by the lessons we learn about ourselves along the way.

And understand, once we cross that line in downtown Toronto on that Sunday afternoon in late September, and take a few weeks, perhaps months to get over it and give the incredible, super-human accomplishment time to sink in, I know our lives will be forever changed; food will taste better, the sun will shine brighter, night-time skies will twinkle just that much more. And later on, when another challenge comes your way and you don’t think you can see your way through it, you’ll remember every foot-strike from March to September that led to the greatest accomplishment of your lives and you’ll know, there is nothing in life that you cannot overcome -- like a Temptations melody, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

I read a neat passage recently, written by John H. Sklare, Ed.D, and this seems like a great place to share it:

"I know there are a zillion reasons why today isn’t the best day to begin your new life, but I also know one important reason why it can’t wait. Time simply passes too quickly in our life, so if I may sound the silent alarm today, time is of the essence. No matter what your life circumstances, I suggest you make today the day you begin to shine. By that I mean you should start making the most of your life and press the envelope a bit. Trespass beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone, and just watch what happens. You are stronger than you know, more capable than you can imagine and only beginning to realize your potential. The clock of life is always running, so I suggest you stop wasting time. Which begs the question, what time is it? Well, it’s time to shine!"

Go for it gang. My only advice is don’t look ahead to the finish line. It’s far, far away. Break it down, one foot-strike at a time, just like every finish line you’ve crossed before it.

Let’s have some fun.

Run for your life.

Thanks for the memories

It was just about a year ago that I was lamenting over what a terrible running year 2007 was for me, that was until I received a gift that seemed to put the whole year in perspective. I ended 2007 by writing,

I can now look forward to 2008 and all that it holds for me and I look at 2007 a little differently than before. Go out and make 2008 your masterpiece.

Well, check and mate on that one. This year has been a dream for me, from a running perspective. Lots of memorable runs, a couple of half marathons and some great conversations over breakfast with my favourite running buddies helped to make 2008 so memorable.

But even with all the foot-strikes, all the hill climbs, and all the miles, my most memorable moment of 2008 had nothing to do with me. One of the greatest moments of my life took place on a chilly day in May watching my fellow Club members come home from a 13.1 mile journey through the streets of Halifax, an incredible feat for sure. The smiles were wide, the tears were flowing, the emotion was unbridled. It was a day, an experience, a life-changing moment never to be forgotten.

And as we close out 2008, I know many of my heroes from that Halifax finish line have signed-up for their first full marathon in 2009, an experience that won't just change their lives, but rather define them.

We all have so much to look forward to. Raise your bar. Leave your comfort zone. Demand more.

Happy New Year and thanks for the memories!

Cool Sundays

There's something cool about being in a running club made up of your co-workers and a few of their relatives.

It's cool for two reasons. One being that employees of our workplace have made a commitment to fitness and healthier living, but even more noteworthy is the fact that when we get together on Sunday mornings, we run, encourage, cheer-on, applaud, high-five and hug each other, before sitting down for a little face-to-face over coffee, a moment that never involves discussing our workplace -- we leave all that out, and appropriately so.

Once a week, we take the biggest thing we have in common, our employer, and shove it aside to discuss running memories from the past, goals for the future, Christmas gifts and most recently the correct usage of the terms "ballistic" and "incongruent".

Our Club lets us connect with each other on a level we wouldn't quite get to without the heavy breathing and the odd instance of shin splints. And as much as I love to run, the real highlight of my Sunday is sitting down with these souls and hearing what they have to say. Oh, and the breakfast is usually pretty good too.

It has been another incredible year for our Club. We set many goals and methodically smashed every one of them only to set even loftier ones. So let me say thanks to my running buddies for sticking with it and making Sundays the best day of my week. I live for Sundays and I know some of them do to.

Run for your life.