Running Down Memory Lane

"I can't do it, its not me," was the old childhood voice inside my head.  Lo all those years ago no one ever told me that I couldn't do it, do what?  Be athletic!  Sure, I tried baseball, soccer, and even once had a bad run in on the football field in middle school, but I was my own worst enemy.  I lacked the fortitude for practice and perseverance when it came to being physically active.  I never saw it in me and never gave myself a running chance--perhaps it was a sign of my immaturity.    My parents would always encourage me in whatever I got involved with, but anything remotely athletic seemed never in the cards for me.

Fast forward a few years.  One of the many things that I enjoy about running is visiting old places in my life that represent various pieces of my story and running there. Doing something new now that seemed so impossible and impracticable then is rather gratifying.  Returning home after seminary has afforded me some time to recollect and ruminate about my childhood. Today I decided to take a 5-mile run at Ritter Park, the scene of so many forced runs during high school phys-ed class.  It was daring me to come back and try it again.  So I did.

A few minutes into my run, the smells hit me hard.  Nothing offensive registered but the mere pungency of childhood memories seeping into my consciousness.  I used to play a lot at this park as a kid, aside from those dull gym class runs.  So many summers spent in the creeks, on the playground, and riding bikes.  It was the cool hang-out spot and now the smells were all too familiar, it was like going back in time in running gear.  When it hit, it hit me hard.  Somehow and in some strange way, running was healing my past.  I was coming full circle and this time there was no "you can't do it" voice.

In T.S. Eliot's poem, "Little Gidding," the last of his famous Four Quartets, he wrote something about this exploration:

We shall not cease from exploration 

And the end of our all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.  

The last line, "and know the place for the first time," has stuck with me since I first encountered it in high school English class.  I was knowing this place, this childhood memory, for the first time.  It was powerful.  It was healing.  Who knew that running in this old place would unlock the flood gates of memory lane?  But rather than drowning in self-pity, I was wading through the waters with a strength that I have come to hone and burnish in my age--the strength of living life to Christ.

When I finished my run and returned to the car, I couldn't help but remember how once upon a time I could not even run once around the park.  Now I did 5-miles!  That voice from childhood is long gone; I don't tell myself those things anymore.  My own experience teaches me to believe that the impossible is not only possible but is doable.  Running through memory lane today was good.

Running Update

This week I am back in my hometown of Huntington, West Virginia.  I'm visiting family and mostly spending time with my Pappaw.  He was diagnosed with prostate cancer which has spread to the bone and his time is ticking.  He's 84, a WWII vet, and one of those members of "the greatest generation."  He's a hero in my book.

On to running.  Its been slow getting back into the grove of things, hence my absence of posts.  I've finally built back my five mile base, thanks be to God.  And now I feel like I can seriously start focusing on speed work and longer distances. The West Virginia 5K Championship is coming to Huntington in two weeks and I am registered to run in it.  I am mainly looking at this race as an opportunity to train for speed.  My PR for a 5K is something like 25:00-- nothing to write home about!

There's seems to be a resurgent running community growing in Huntington, check out their Tri-State Racer webpage.  Huntingon now boasts the Marshall University Marathon held in the fall and now in its seventh year.  There are efforts to reverse the notoriety of Huntington being the country's unhealthiest city.

Running Wisdom

"The best runner leaves no tracks."  
~ Tao Te Ching

Film Trailer: The Spirit of the Marathon

From the Film Producers:

"Spirit of the Marathon is the first film to capture the story, drama and ultimate essence of the legendary 26.2 mile running event. Filmed globally in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, the movie brings together a diverse cast of amateur athletes and marathon luminaries. As six unique stories unfold, each runner prepares for and ultimately faces the challenge of the Chicago Marathon. More than a sports movie, Spirit of the Marathon is an inspirational journey of perseverance and personal triumph; a spectacle that will be embraced by runners and non-runners alike."

The Big Apple

It begins today.  On Sunday, November 7th, me and 40,000 of my closest running buddies will be zigzagging through all five boroughs of New York City in the 40th running of the New York City Marathon.  How many miles is a marathon, you ask:  26.2 glorious, painful miles!  Founded in 1970, the NYC Marathon is considered one of the "majors" in the marathon world.

I started running--seriously--during my first year of seminary.  I ran a 5K during sunset in Key West in 2008, I've run Central Park, and added cycling to the mix of activities.  Last year, I ran five half-marathons (13.1 mi.) across Tennessee and Alabama.  I over did it, you could say, and got burned out. Logging over 500 miles was sometimes fun, sometimes painful, but always exhilarating.  I took much of this past year off from running and the weight crept back on. Running quickly became more than just a physical release from stress--it became an important part of my prayer life.

I won the lottery in order to secure my spot in 2009.  Because of burnout, I was able to delay my acceptance until 2010.  Last year, I was asked to serve as one of the Chaplains for the ecumenical service prior to the start of the race.

160 days and counting.  I'll have completed my first full marathon in NYC.  The Big Apple will be mine (power of positing thinking)!  The race begins on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Staten Island and finishes in Central Park.  I am excited, a bit nervous, and looking forward to commencing the long training schedule to get ready.  No more sweets, extra nibbles here and there, no more good beer.  Nope, it all starts today.