It's over. The
Grizzly Half Marathon came and went. As
a Penguin, I started slow, waddled at the back of the pack, and walked the
hills. I finished well. The results of my earlier fall did not
re-surface, and no new injuries erupted to fill the void. I was up and about, hiking and enjoying mountains
the following day. I am so grateful for
a happy ending to this small drama. Thanks for coming along.
The process of setting a long-term goal, working toward
it, experiencing setbacks, re-calculating, and engaging a deeper optimism has
been a journey of discovery with several important lessons.
First-there is, without doubt, energy in a goal. The energy pulls us out of bed in the morning
and sets a direction on the daily compass. It powers the forces of action over the resistance of inertia. I like goals.
Second-there is also a trap. A goal can trigger obsession and set us up
for failure. If we define our goals too
narrowly, pursue them unconditionally, and condition our happiness on success, we
can lose the broader view of happiness or crash when something gets in the way.
Third-goals are most fun when shared. Jane, Ann, and I birthed a vision of sharing the
Griz a year in advance. Though we
needed to re-calculate the details, we shared the experience from a
distance. As time passed, through the
magic of Facebook, that small buddy group expanded to become a dynamic force by
the day of the run. My status update that
morning said "YOU DID IT! " You got me
over the hump, over the hill, and over the finish line.
Fourth-it is good to know when to seek help. The recovery that enabled me to run so soon after
injury belongs to Joyce, my massage
therapist (and to Connie, who recommended her). Her strong and intuitive touch worked out the stiffness and brought my legs
back to life, just in time.
So, the ending was happy. What next? A fellow Penguin at
the Griz told me about "Half2Run," an online community that aims to finish HALF
marathons in HALF the states. It seems a
little crazy, but...
There is energy in a goal. I love the energy, and celebrated my 64th
birthday by registering with Half2Run. There is also a trap. I will not wait for the 25th
state, but will savor the victory of each step along the path. I will run when I can, walk when I can't, and
learn new lessons in optimism when neither is an option.
|
