50k Wisdom

I had the chance to run for hours and hours this past weekend in one of my favorite places on earth, the Bosque of our beautiful Albuquerque. I actually paid money to do a 50 kilometer race. Probably sounds crazy to many of you, and I would agree that it is.

You have a lot of time to talk with yourself in 30+ miles of trail running, and I reflect that a lot of this banter is actually filled with life wisdom. So, I have a few of the thoughts that were a part of my conversation in those hours below.

I hope they provide meaning and inspiration. I hope they raise some good questions for you.

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Feeling down? High-five someone else.

Feeling depleted? Keep moving. You might feel better in an hour.

Feeling tired? Set your sight on what is directly ahead and don’t worry about anything else. (By the way, what did you expect when you signed up for this?? To not feel tired?? End of conversation.)

Want to quit? Okay, go for it. But what does that accomplish? Will you be happy with that decision tomorrow?

Each of us has our own race to run.

Forget about winning or losing, and instead focus on digging for the best effort you can give.

Smile often. Embrace the beauty, the misery, and all in between.

Run for those who can’t.

Time is meaningless. How we spent the time is what matters (Feels strange to write that one as a competitive runner. What if there was a way at the finish to determine who enjoyed themselves the most out on the course, and that determined the winner, not who finished first)

When your mind tells you “Let’s walk” gently tell it back “Let’s run”

A pic of my amazing family who came out to support me in the endeavor