After completing the Houston Marathon on Sunday, I was beaten and worn slick. It was my second marathon in three weeks. I started to think that maybe I had set too big of a goal. To keep on track and to honor the commitment I made to myself, I went ahead and signed up for the Austin Marathon on the 19th of February. If things go to plan, in February I’ll do 3 marathons in three weeks; The Austin marathon on the 19th, the Galveston Marathon on the 26th, and the San Antonio Marathon on March 5th. When people ask me how I do the stuff I do I always have the same answer; It’s mostly nothing more than a mental game. One thing is for sure, at 56 years of age and 230 pounds, I’m no athlete. It’s just mental and it starts with having a belief that you can do it. You also need to have the willingness to endure some temporary discomfort. Over the past 10 years, I’ve gotten comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Quick story. Last Friday night, I had a benefit dinner I was scheduled to attend. If was for EyeCan which is an organization that guides blind runners. On Friday, I had a long day at work. I was tired and I had a bad head cold. On top of that, I had a big weekend ahead. I thought about not going to the dinner, but I did what I always do and I went anyway. As usual, I was so glad I made myself go because I got to hear some incredible stories from blind runners who were about to run the Marathon. Their stories were mostly about their running experiences, and how they did not let being blind stop them. They also spoke about the internal motivation that drives them to be a distance runner. I was moved. Again, this was on Friday night. Two days later, on Sunday, it was marathon day. At about mile 3, I passed some of the blind runners being guided. One runner was both blind and deaf. I shot a picture of her as I passed and I looked at her face. What I saw was pure courage and determination.
At around mile 17 or so, my hip started hurting. It’s a common thing with me. I’ve learned that the second I feel pain, the way to deal with it is to refocus my mind on something else. Today, I thought about that young woman who was both blind and deaf, but still out here gettin’ after it. Yup, that pretty much stopped my little pain pity party dead in its tracks.
There’s a book called “Get Off Your But”. It’s by Sean Stephenson. He passed away a few years ago. It’s a great read. It’s about removing the “Buts” from your life (one T not two). To paraphrase Sir Mix-A-Lot, “I got big buts and I cannot lie.” Hey, we’ve all got big Buts. Eliminating the Buts is the hard part. Ten years ago, the smallest “But” would stop me dead in my tracks. Now, it takes a big ol’ But. But, from time to time, the “But” still wins.
As I always end my stories, I hope you Find Your Adventure and Live Your Life.
PS-Want to give one of these runs a try? Start out with a 5K. Starting is always the hardest part. Hey, if you are a little apprehensive and need a wingman, call me up. I’ll come and do it with you. I’m not joking. I love seeing folks step outside of their comfort zone. One caveat though. I can’t tell you it’ll be fun, but in the end, you’ll be glad you did.