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Last Sunday was Missoula Marathon-Half Marathon day. That day brought six months of sustained effort to a conclusion for our local running club's Galloway training class.
Many class members met the goal they set in January. They ran the race. They crossed the finish line. They received the medal. Their names and times are listed in the results. They posed for pictures. The posted their happiness on Facebook. They celebrated with family and friends.
Other class members did not. They were injured or sick and cheered from the sidelines. They volunteered to help with race logistics. They stayed home or traveled because family needed them that day. They postponed their goals because other demands had interrupted their training schedules. They worked because they could not get the time off.
In the June 24 issue of Reflections, we talked about shifting our sights. When one major goal hits a barrier, we can re-focus on a more realistic goal rather than giving up altogether. Those who were not able to run the marathon or half on Sunday formed a community of sight-shifters. As the Galloway program director, I was as proud of the second group as the first.
Every single class member rose to the midwinter challenge of testing themselves against the prospect of 13.1 or 26.2 miles. Each member had a unique personal journey. Each member contributed in his or her own way to the journeys of others. It was a remarkable individual effort and an even-more remarkable collective effort.
As the Bible, and later Bob Dylan, have told us: there is a time and a season for everything.
- A time to learn and a time to test.
- A time to hurt and a time to heal.
- A time to fall and a time to get back up.
- A time to cry and a time to smile.
- A time to love, a time to be loved; to help and be helped.
And, for those of us who follow Jeff Galloway's trademarked approach to distance, there is a time to walk and a time to run.
I celebrate another remarkable season of building endurance with a running class, one week and one mile at a time. It is now time to savor our progress, celebrate our success, internalize our lessons learned, and shift our sights to something new.
I didn't complete the half marathon I planned for this summer. I had shoulder surgery instead. I cheered for my buddies, and enjoyed a huge dose of vicarious success. And I have shifted my sights to a half marathon in October.
What comes next for you?
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