Good morning!  It is April 19, 2015.  Last Sunday's reflection, posted before I left town for Hawaii, was written on the assumption that I would finish that race.  As I edit this week's issue, I continue to honor that assumption.  The following rerun was initially published in August 2010, the week I set the goal of finishing half marathons in half the states.  It is fun to look back with the perspective of (nearly) five more years, 21 more half marathons, and 19 more states to remember where this journey began.

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 relentlessly, 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 look for silver linings to the clouds when neither is an option.

Each ending, happy or not, opens the door to a new beginning.  What does that mean for you, in your life, right now?  Enjoy the energy.  Avoid the trap.  See a Start on the other side of Finish.  And as my running hero John "the Penguin" Bingham always says, "Waddle on my friends."