Inspiration can be hard to come by these days; that’s at least true for me. Long time listeners of this podcast will have undoubtedly noticed a certain lack of theme, a specific absence of content in the area of “running” that may have left them wondering why they subscribed to such a program in the first place?
From my perspective, it makes me wonder why I’ve lost that “running feeling”. There are, of course, some obvious reasons for this including a “big bag of suck” that I’ve accumulated over the years which makes the act of lacing up my shoes difficult to the point of Anhedonia.
For those unfamiliar with the archive of my work here, it may surprise you to know that I once LOVED to run…no, no…no, it’s bigger than that: I once found intense and extreme pleasure in the act of running. It was an activity that defined me just short of obsession…and sometimes, I’ll admit, creeping into the realm of compulsion. In short, running was my passion.
I like to read, alot. I always seem to have two or three books that I’m simultaneously consuming. One of my favorite novelists is the famed author from the Great State of Maine, Stephen King…whose Magnus Opus was a collection of books titled “The Dark Tower”.
There are many themes in this series that have stuck with me since the first book was published in 1982 including my favorite that “the world has moved on”.
Taken at face value, that theme might seem somewhat dark. It attempts to capture that feeling and fact that “who we are today is a fleeting experience of who we will become”. Everything in our entropic universe is moving on, breaking down, changing for better or worse.
Now perhaps, it could be argued, that my passion for running was a little too extreme. Although alot of good came from the activity, there were some bad elements which resulted that is easy to forget: Injuries and pain, which remain with me to this day.
And so, I seek inspiration. Some words of encouragement intended to get me back on the road and thinking, writing and podcasting about running.
It is with that in mind, that I present for you a reading from Dr. George Sheehan, from his New York Times Bestselling book “Running and Being - the total experience” published in 1978.
Go to http://www.georgesheehan.com and purchase the book“Running and Being the Total Experience” by Dr. George Sheehan. This is required reading for anyone who is interested in living their life to the top.
GeorgeSheehan.com
This isn’t an advertisement, I’m not making a penny on telling you this, I’m just making a recommendation for you that I know you’ll thank me for. Go to http://www.georgesheehan.com You’re welcome.
Every time I read that chapter, I think about all of the road races I’ve run….and how great it felt to be a participant rather than just a spectator.
See, as a baseball fan…I know all about being a spectator…but as I demonstrated exactly 40 years ago, in the summer of 1977 by missing a fly ball in the bottom of the 9th inning and single handedly losing the championship ball game for my Anderson’s Clean-o-Rama Red Barons…I’m never going to be a baseball player.
But I can run. The issue, over the past few years has been not “can I?” but “will I?”….and it’s certainly not “should I?”…we all know the answer to that. What was that spark of motivation that drove me to want to go for a 20 mile run on a Sunday morning? I couldn’t wait to lace up my shoes…I couldn’t wait to participate in a road race…I can run, but will I?
The answer is, of course, yes: but it’s going to be different this time. And it’s not going to be about leaving a good impression for an offspring…although maybe my grandchildren…but I’m not going to pretend that it’s anything other than what it is. And although I do want to become healthier both in mind and body…that’s not why I will run either.
It’s because I no longer want to be a just fan or spectator of this sport or my life. I will run because I want to live my life, once again, to the top.
Thanks Dr. Sheehan
Ahhhh, do you hear that? That’s a beautiful sound.
Fellow runners, baseball is back.
This is a very good thing...and I know, I know...we were just talking about my not wanting to be "just fan or spectator", but this is different...baseball, a game I'm not ever going to be able to play...is much more than just a sport to me.
How do I explain it?
Imagine a song...a beautiful song that brings you joy, races your heart, influences your emotions of
excitement, fear, anger, doubt, pride, and a palatable exhaustion...that sounds alot like running doesn't it? That is no accident. For some of you, art feels that way, or dancing, knitting, reading, wine tasting, cooking, collecting hummels...look, we all have something that we love which enhances our existence.
Baseball is that spice in my life. It represents everything that defines my life: the agony and the ecstasy. So i rejoice on it's return...I look forward with irrationally certain expectation that my hometown team, my beloved Boston Red Sox and local independent league Worcester Bravehearts will win most of their games and prove themselves as champions in the end.
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Baseball is back.
Play ball.
I’m Steve Runner, reminding you to Run long and Taper