Go fast. Don’t die.
That’s the slogan for a company I love. They make clothing for folks who ride motorcycles. Not people like me who run ovals on foot or up and down in the dirt. But the motto… it hits hard for me and I feel it in my bones.
Every day the alarm clock goes off and you get a chance to win. Or lose. What that means is pretty relative depending on the day. Winning looks different when you’re in a season of struggle. It looks much better when you’re “race ready” but life never cares what we want so it’s a roll of the dice every time we line up.
Running has been my best friend and the biggest b$!@%…all rolled into one. I’ve sorted through the highest highs and the lowest of lows with the sound of “right foot left foot” humming along. It’s the sound of peace or nothing at all. And sometimes it’s the only way to make everything stop. If you know you know and if you don’t, it’s ok too. There are days I envy folks who don’t have that constant pull that drags me right back out. But for now, no race, no problem. It’s the training that keeps me coming back for more. The love of listening to the sound of my breath or the plan I’ve created to solve the worlds problems or at least get that person to another PR.
Life’s complicated but really.. we’re not. It’s amazing what a little love, sweat, and inspiration can do if you really let it. One more day and one more run. Because after all, as the father of national parks, John Muir put it, “the world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.”