Here I am, up late again. I know I should go to bed but I know that if I do I will just lie there and toss and turn. I want to sleep but I won't so I might as well share another (the last) round of inspirations. I'll just dive in with no further ado...
"The real purpose of running isn't to win a race; it's to test the limits of the human heart." Bill Bowerman I have shared how I am amazed at what my body is capable of. This inspiration expresses that amazement. A couple of weeks ago I was working on a new training program that I have since dropped for reasons (excuses) previously blogged about but will take up once again in the very near future. When I was reading about the program I was floored at the requirement....sixty minutes, running? Seriously? But I got up on the treadmill and I did it. I DID IT! Running! YES!!!! While it was a test of my ability to play the mental game that running is to me, it was also a test of the ability of my body. And while that's not my heart specifically it's close enough. And that's if we interpret this inspiration literally. Let's talk about what we mean when we say "the heart". When we say "My heart belongs to so and so" we don't mean that person literally owns the physical organ that pumps blood through our veins. That would be creepy. We mean that we love that person with the very core of our existence. Right? So when we say running tests the limits of the heart we mean it tests what we are made up of, deep in the core of our being. How much can you stand? How much can you push yourself through? How strong are you, not just physically but mentally, emotionally and spiritually? That's what I like about this inspiration. It gets at the very essence of the mental game that running is to me. It tests my ability to push myself though.
"Run Hard & Be Nice To People" Okay, so this isn't really an inspiration; it's more of a moral code. Well, not the run hard part. That part just reminds me to be strong and keep going. The be nice part is the moral code part. I realize being nice has nothing to do with running, unless running helps you be nice to people but as a person, living my life day to day I strive to be nice. I firmly believe if more people were dedicated to being nice this world would be a better place to live in. Let me give you an example. My husband and I went to Tunica for a weekend get away a few years before we were married. My husband is a professional poker player so when we go away for a weekend get away we often go to Vegas or Tunica or somewhere he can play live since he plays mainly online. At the casinos and hotels with casinos you can often sign up for a card that looks somewhat like a debit card that you use when you play the games at the casinos or buy something from the hotel shops. You give the dealer your card (or swipe it in the slot machine) and it collects points that you can then trade in for goodies at the casino or hotel like free dinners or whatever. My husband was signing up for one of these cards and the woman behind the counter was in a cranky mood and while she wasn't rude or mean to us we could just tell that she was having a bad day. I began talking with her and discovered that her small son was sick with the flu and she had been up with him all night. She also had to work late that night and wasn't able to be home with him. She was tired and worried about her son and that made her cranky. Just by talking with her and sharing that I understood how she felt we were able to cheer her up and when we left her counter she had a smile on her face. Just by being nice. If more people took the time to think about things from someone else's point of view we might be able to understand what makes each other tick and we might be more apt to be more tolerant of people and their point of view. In lieu of the upcoming elections and the dissonance between Republicans and Democrats with the polar opposite view points this particular "inspiration" is something we all want to think about. You don't have to agree with someone or even like their opinion or point of view but let's try to understand each other and just plain be nice!
"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today was your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass. There is no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." John Bingham I love this. This gives me permission to call myself a runner even though I've only been doing this for less than a year and even though I've stopped and restarted so many times I've lost count. I am a runner. John Bingham says so, LOL!!!! This makes me feel better about my low mileage and my slow pace. I am a runner! I don't have to join a club. I don't have to take a test or join a gym. I can run anywhere. I can run any time. I don't have to prove anything to anyone but myself. I don't have to go to some bureau to take a physical test or a written test. I can call myself a runner no matter what. This is so simple and so beautiful in its simplicity! I am a runner.
The last one I want to share with you is this:
I mean, who doesn't love pie? Seriously though....this one reminds me that I need to reward myself once in a while for good behavior because you must reward yourself. :-)
Happy Running and let's have some PIE!
KEA
P.S. That is NOT me in the picture; I don't know who she is but she is pretty and I would certainly trade looks with her!
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