Self Discovery

In order to avoid living a life where you possess a dogmatic subscription to beliefs which do not change to reflect your environment, you need to effect a certain amount of time for self discovery. It's a relatively easy way to live your life by staying within your comfort zone.  It is very difficult to face some of the issues you have found to be problematic in your life and correct them.

Running has afforded me the opportunity to learn what I am made of.  To the lay person, running is not a very difficult sport.  Just put one foot in front of the other. To the elite athlete, who has been able to run five minute miles since the age of  fourteen, running is also deemed not very difficult.  Running is a very difficult endeavor for the newbie attempting to begin a new fitness regimen or hobby.

I am not made of steel, nor am I made of bamboo. I am not a marathon runner nor a sprinter. I value my roles as a husband and father much more than a runner.  Next year, I will need to dedicate more time to helping my sons learn to ride bike, swim, and play baseball.  While I do feel I have rekindled a certain amount of my youth via running, I am keenly aware I am not young anymore.

This is not a swan song for running within my life. I have just aligned my running expectations with my performances - which in my case is a major downgrade.