Never run 325 miles in two days on a diet of fennel?
Always check the lunar calendar and have a good understanding of the local customs prior to asking a city state for aid before the moon is full?
Or...maybe his story has something to do with attributing a noble purpose to our running.
Let’s go with that one: it is, after all, one of the common themes of these Phedippidations.
When we give purpose to our running, whether it be a goal to become healthier in body, mind or spirit…we are doing so not only for personal, or selfish reasons…we’re running to become better people.
Which begs the question: “Why is it important to become a better person?”
Maybe it’s important because as healthier, stronger, more thoughtful people…we can help to make the world a better place…if only in small and hardly noticeable ways.
I’ve been thinking alot about what I want to be when I grow up…and it’s hard to describe because I can’t fit the job description into anything specific. It was easy when I was a child…there was no question then as to what I wanted to be: an astronaut. I wanted to travel into outer space and explore the surface of the moon, or Mars and discover new places, experiencing adventure and all the previously unknown wonders of the universe.
So, I turned to technology…I played with Lego and built rocket ships and lunar landers and took computer classes in high school, eventually attending the University of Lowell and Northeastern University in Boston to study electrical engineering…which led to a career as a commercial broadcaster, and then a career in computer networking and wide area telecommunications, network management and monitoring…which, with a wild imagination is very much like being an astronaut.
Well…maybe not so much. But somewhere along the way, in December of 1998 to be exact, I decided to lace up my shoes and adopt the lifestyle of a runner.
At first, I did it for myself…at 232 pounds and 5 foot 10, I was clinically obese. But as I lost the weight, and ran the miles…I became a better person: not a perfect person, not a great person…just better, and it allowed me to do things for others, and using what I learned from astronaut training…with my specialty in electrical engineering, networking technologies and ROCK n’ ROLL…in the summer of 2005, I started to produce a podcast to share my love of running and have a conversation with you about living a better life as a runner.
Thousands of hours and miles later, I’m here: presenting for you the 300th episode of my podcast, and the mythical story of an ancient messenger who attributed a noble purpose to his running and saved the city he loved.
What I’ve learned from Phedippides…and, for that matter, Phedippidations, is that we do not run solely for ourselves…we run to become better people, and in becoming better people we can make the world a better place…by having a healthy body with which we can help others physically, by having a clearer more peaceful mind with which we can help others by being better listeners, better friends, and better fellow runners, and by setting a good example through our running to welcome the sedentary out on the roads with us, to infect the world with a love for living our lives to the top.
The legendary Phedippidees ran alone…but we do not…however what we do share with Phedippidees is an inner ability to use our bodies like the good animals we were meant to be, and to use them for good in the world. And that ability stays with us, even when Phedippides got to Sparta, he still have another run in him, taking him back to the Plains of Marathon…and once there, he still had one more run in him…to run back to Athens to save his city.
That’s what we’ve got…the potential energy to take to the roads, become better people, make the world just a little bit better and live our lives in a special, meaningful altruistic way.
You’ve been there with me for 300 episodes, and my appreciation for your support, attention, honest criticism and thoughtfully kind words might go without saying…but I’m going to say it anyway. Thank you….sincerely.
We’re going to start talking alot more about running, training, racing, and regenerating ourselves to become better people. When you think about it, after 300 episode of my rambling diatribes…we kinda have to.
We’re not doing this for ourselves anymore, not exclusively. We’re doing it to make the world a better place. We have to find a noble purpose to all this, we just have to…otherwise what’s the point? Are we only here to experience the universe for our own personal pleasure? I don’t think so…especially when you consider that great pleasure can be found in helping others to become fellow runners.
This is all about community….Phedippides had one more run in him…one last burst of potential energy to save his city. You and I have a much greater task with our final efforts…our noble purpose makes the run of Phedippides seem like a pub crawl. We are out to save the whole wide world… not all at once, not through a goofy little podcast of course: but together, as a powerful force for good: one more time, one more run, one run more.
ONE RUN MORE
(sung to the tune of “One Day More” from Les Miserables)
One run more!
Another run, another podcast on
This never-ending road to marathon.
Runners who seem to know my show
Will run with me through sleet and snow
One run more.
I ran alone until the day.
I heard your goofy little podcast.
One run more.
But you recorded anyway
Until at last your laptop drive crashed.
One more run out on the road.
Will you ever post again?
One more run with ten subscribers!
I signed up to run with you.
With my podcast microphone.
And I have laced up my shoes.
Steindel Joe’s win was not fair!
One more run before the race!
I swear this guy is Doctor Who.
At the starting line of Boston.
Can’t be-lieve he made us sing!
Though he come from outer space.
Dig-ni-ty we did not bring!
Life is short but long enough!
The time is now, the road is clear!
One run more!
One more run to Mojo Loco,
We will cross the finish line
We will meet our fellow runners
Lift a glass of victory wine!
One run more!
Watch us run the world
Hear us run apart
Run across the planet
from the end to start
Here a little snow
There a little heat
Most of us are runners
So we can’t be beat.
One run to Phedippidations!
Leave a re-view on i-Tunes!
Every finisher will win!
Every finisher will win!
There's podcast for the winners
There's a race we all have won
Do you hear the runners sing?
My place is here, I’ll run with you!
One run more!
I ran alone until the day.
One more run all on my own!
How’d Joe beat Steve in Nova Scotia?
I will join these fellow runners
I will follow every one.
I will meet them at road races.
I will run the roads they run.
One run more!
But you recorded anyway
What a race I might have run!
Until at last your laptop drive crashed.
One more run to Mojo Loco,
We will cross the finish line
We will meet our fellow runners
Lift a glass of victory wine!
Watch us run the world
Hear us run apart
Run across the planet
from the end to start
Tomorrow we'll run far away,
Tomorrow is the download day
Tomorrow we'll discover
What Steve Runner has in store.
One more show.
One more run
One run more!
Links:
Reverend Tracy: http://revruns.blogspot.com/
Matt the Crazy Runner: CrazyRunner@facebook.com
Marathon Chris marathonchris@gmail.com
Jim James
John Vaughn www.RunNewEngland.Blogspot.com
Norm Rosenberg http://theruminativerunner.blogspot.com
Colin Clews “Clewsy” on twitter and colin.clews on Facebook.
Susan Stout www.irunformylife.blogspot.com
Mark Sands http://run366project.blogspot.com
Tim Cleary http://www.abueloruns.com, and
Jim “JayDub” http://corsolameta.blogspot.com and co-host of the fantastic:
“Run World Radio Podcast” at http://runworldradio.blogspot.com/
“Run World Radio Podcast” at http://runworldradio.blogspot.com/
http://www.eddiemarathon.blogspot.com and
The Zen Runner himself, Adam Tinkoff http://zenconfess.blogspot.com.
The Zen Runner himself, Adam Tinkoff http://zenconfess.blogspot.com.
All of the music presented on Phedippidations is protected by a creative commons license and or with the artists permission.
Melodious advice by NeilBearse.com at the GhostofRadio.com
Both opening and closing themes songs were by Jim Fidler at jimfidler.com.
“Man of Constant Sorry” was performed by Bob Dylan
ONLY IF YOU LIKE IT: Phedippidations is supported every month through the very kind and sincerely generous financial support of 57 fellow runners:
William, Vera, Katie, Heather, Ryan, Chaise, Andie, Gordon, Scott, Mike, David, Jeff, Colin, Jason, Diane, Cheryl, Ron, Mark, Martha, Greg, Jim, Tim, Bill, Michael, David, Doug, Vance, Brad, Marcelo, Shawn, Roberto, Zaki, Ria, Jan, Margaret, James, Norm, Simon, Albert, Janice, Andrew, Pam, Rob, Chris, Teresa, Glenn, Trey, Steve, John, Angie, Al, Toni, Martin, Lynn, Nancy, Matt and one Anonymous fellow runner!
THANK YOU for your support: Support.SteveRunner.com
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