On Losing

Last night my 7th grade girls basketball team lost their first game of the season. This is my first year coaching this. I decided to take it on as I have decided to take a break forom track this year to hang out with my new tiny man of the house. We won our first two games, but last night we crumbled.

Most of our girls are new to basketball. There's not a lot of experience with the game. I decided that its important for me to teach them, what I consider to be, real basketball and not just a series of plays and actions that get points or results. In my opinion, basketball is about flow. There's a pace and flow to the game with lots of little things that happen within that flow. Basketball is about learning the fundamentals well and then applying them creatively within the game. I am trying to teach this to 7th grade girls. Not easy.

I won't go into all the details of the loss, but were close at half and then lost momentum, they applied pressure, and we folded up.

What was most upsetting to me was how they took it. I'm not mad at the girls. I remember being their age, but I had at least 6 girls crying, some faking injuries, and then I heard them in the locker room throwing a complete bitch-fest about the other team and the refs, etc. We did not handle the loss well.

Maybe its mean, but this classic scene came to mind

Leading up to the game, the girls were all nervous and talking about how good the other team was and how tough they are and who to worry about, etc. There was so much talk about them and what they do, and none of us and what we can do. They had it in their heads they would lose, then when it started to happen, they saw it as destiny, got upset, and completely forgot how to play. They didn't fill their spots on defense, they didn't help out the ball on offense....they just forgot how to play. And that's the important word, isn't it: Play.

As the coach, I am left wondering how much of the loss is on me, naturally. I know we didn't go over press breakers or how to press. That's on me. I wasn't sure we would need it. Apparently we did. I also need to find a way to get them to move on offense. We stand around hoping something will happen, despite all our work on screens and cuts. But, really, I am wondering how to fix the attitude toward the loss. This s a far more important lesson in the long run. It is not lost on me at all how impressionable these kids are right now. My reaction at practice today needs to be calculated and thought out.

Losing happens to even the best of us. We don't have to like it. We don't have to take it lying down. But, once its over, its over, and we need to move on. Use what was learned from the loss and apply it to the next round. The way my girls seemed to handle it, though, is that losing was something that happened TO them, externally. It was a series of things, to them, that they weren't in control of. That's what really had me stewing last night. How can I switch that mindset in a positive way. That winning, too, comes from within. Winning doesn't happen TO you. Same with losing.

Again, I'm not mad at them. They may not know better or have been taught any different. Our 7th graders at school are particularly entitled as a community. We are not in a rich area or anything, its just an attitude. Examples are unnecessary as I am sure you can picture it. What I need to do now, is mold the girls differently. It can't just be about basketball anymore.

When I coach cross country, I coach way more than cross country. I coach lifestyle, attitude, grit, determination, health, etc. I don't have the time with these girls to do all that. I only have 6 weeks form start to finish. But, I can try to change the mindset. Losing is part of the game. Its an important part of the game. We, as a society, seem to admire those that win all the time. We use their quotes and posters to motivate ourselves. But lets take a step back. Is that what is really important? Do we want to win so bad that we are willing to be assholes in the process? Think of all the examples you think of, right of the bat, when you think of winning.... How many of them are really good people? Some, sure. But they are probably not a majority. Hell... I love Michael Jordan... love him... but he was kindof a dick.

To make this clear, I am not into the whole "trophies for everyone" scene. I dont want to just tell them its ok and that they are all winners in my book. We need winners and losers. But we need to be able to handle losing. Losing doesn't happen TO us from some external force, though. Its something you feel and know because in that game or that activity or that experience, you weren't good enough. Plain and simple. Its in figuring out why we weren't good enough, at that time, that allows us to grow and get better. By putting blame elsewhere, we deny our ability to learn, grow, and become better than we once were.

This is a lot to try to teach 7th grade girls in the month I have left... but I will try. I will try through action and word. Because I lost yesterday too and see what I did to prepare the girls wasn't good enough and would like to fix those things for the better. The girls are just beginning to figure all this out. I know that and I am going to do my best to nurture these ideas instead of yelling, or drilling actions to death, or being negative about it. Meanwhile.... I still want to win.

Outliers... How important is success, anyway?

I recently finished Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers, which I got a hold of after reading Blink. Outliers is a book about success and how some have achieved it, but its maybe not what you think. Its not about the people themselves and their personalities that make them successful. Bill Gates wasn't incredibly successful just because he was smart and determined. This book is about the circumstances that successful people come from and the series of happenings, events, and opportunities that also allow them to become successful. It's about systems and timing and location, etc.

It may sound like this way of looking at success i sdownplaying someone's drive and ability over their circumstances. It is. It very much is. One example I can explain from the book quickly deals with hockey players. A great deal of the professional hockey players in the NHL are born in January. Weird, huh? Not really. The cutoff date for little league hockey in the US and Canada is January 1st. Ah ha? If you were born in January you will be older than a kid born in December trying out for the same spot. You will have almost a year's worth of growth and development on them. That's why so many hockey players that play professional are born in January. They got the lucky draw on birthdays.

This bit is right in the beginning of the book. After reading this I felt a moment of panic. My son was just born this past December. I thought, "Oh crap! What else has a January cut-off!? Is my son at a disadvantage now?" The more I made my way through the book, though, the less panicked I was. I realized that there's a lot about "success" that one can't even control at all. For instance... the Great Depression caused families at the time to stop having kids. A little less than a decade later, the public school systems, especially in big cities, had less kids per class than normal. Less kids per class means better teaching. Better teaching means better education..... You can follow how it works. So worrying about all the circumstances I would have to consider for my son to be successful isn't a good use of time or energy. All I can do is try my best to set him up for success.

This book doesn't say that it is ONLY circumstances and coincidence that leads to success. Its in combination with people willing to put forth effort and maybe have the smarts, the talent, and drive to make the most of the circumstances they've been given. But success is not determined by these factors alone. Other outside forces must be involved. Often times, a little bit of success or "luck" will allow an individual to have another, even better, opportunity. From that opportunity, even more opportunities arise.

I think it is in this idea we see where much of the civil unrest in our society comes from. When those of us willing to work hard put in the time and effort needed and feel that we are smart enough to be successful at a high level don't see ourselves becoming successful like others, we ask why. Without having to do a lot of digging in to that question, the word "opportunity" comes to mind. If you are from the middle and low classes financially, there are often less opportunities available to build upon. Yes, certainty there are some, but its very difficult for individuals in this country to move from one class to a higher one. There are tons of different reasons for this and there probably are many books written about it. I am not advocating for anarchy or to tear down the classes. But it is good to recognize what's really in front of you, or not. Certain circumstances tend to breed more opportunity, some breed less. That's just the truth.I'll leave it at that for now.

This book also discusses the ideas around the 10,000 hour rule as well. If you aren't aware if it, there is a "rule" out there stating that it takes about 10,000 hours of "deliberate practice and work" for someone to become an "expert" at something. There are some naysayers of this, and that's fine. But logically, I think it makes a great deal of sense. This rule, in the book, applies to everyone from Bill Gates to the Beatles. 10,000 hours is a lot of time. You see in this book how a couple strange circumstances allowed some of these successful individuals to gain this time much faster than others. Right place, right time seems to come up a lot with the successful individuals mentioned in the book. I've been wondering myself how many hours I have put into certain actions and activities. How many hours have I put into drawing? How many hours have I put into running? Coaching? teaching? How many of those hours were "deliberate"? It made me wonder if I am truly working at becoming an expert at anything. Should I be drawing more often with more deliberate intentions? How would that change me? This i something I think I need to mull over for a bit. I am all for changing myself for the better... so how can I apply this 10,000 to that end?

What does all this information about circumstances and success and 10,00 hours mean for me, though? What does it mean for my son? Will he not be successful unless the circumstances are just right? Honestly, that's very likely he wont be if we are talking about "success" as it is defined by our society... which often means financially. That sounds terrible and almost like I should panic, until I look at it a different way. If I teach my son to work hard and get educated for the love if it and look for and seize opportunities when they come up, who knows where it will lead. If he is prepared and ready when an opportunity comes up, he can take it, or not, depending on what he wants to do. If he walks around in life, just looking for success, its going to be hard to find. Its elusive. It is set up for some and not for others through series of happenings and coincidences. If all my son looks for is this elusive and ever-changing path, he may never find it. But, instead, if he looks for opportunities to be fulfilled and happy, than success isn't as important. It may come or not, but he will be happy.

I'm pretty sure this is what success looks like. I love this picture.

We are only here for a short time. We cant take anything with us when we leave. All we can do is try to learn from our time here and improve our own experiences and the experiences of others' lives, if possible. If that result sin being rich and successful, great. But, if you're rich and "successful" but miserable, what's the point?

Active vs Reactive Livin'

In the most recent podcast I have listened to, the Tim Ferriss podcast, (of which I am starting at the beginning), there were several great ideas and gems of knowledge that popped up. I wanted to reflect on a couple of them.

In this episode (episode #2), Tim Ferriss interviews Josh Waitzkin. Here's his bio from Tim's web page:

Josh Waitzkin was the basis for the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer. Considered a chess prodigy, he has perfected learning strategies that can be applied to anything, including his other loves of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (he’s a black belt under phenom Marcelo Garcia) and Tai Chi Push Hands (he’s a world champion). These days, he spends his time coaching the world’s top performers, whether Mark Messier, Cal Ripken Jr., or hedge fund managers.  I initially met Josh through his incredible book, The Art of Learning, which I loved so much that I helped produce the audio-book (download here, at Audible or DRM-free Gumroad).

In this podcast, Waitzkin dropped lots knowledge and you can tell there's more where that came from. One of my favorite ideas he discussed was about how he advises people to end their work day or training with extreme focus. Whatever it is you do, finish your day by doing it really well and with extreme focus. The idea is that when you come back and start up again, you will carry that focus over. So many of us, myself included, look at the end of the the day and think, "I just need to make it a little bit longer". Then we phone it in for the last bit. I know I do that sometimes in the last class of my day. I get them going, then I ease off the gas for the last part of the day, just trying to survive it. But that's not good enough. If I want to start my day off being more productive and with better focus, I need to end my day that way. So, yesterday I tried it. The last class of the day I didn't check my email, I didn't try to get other things done while the kids worked, or anything like that. I got them started, focused them on what they needed to get done on their art project that day, and then walked the room. I worked with kids, making suggestions and discussing their work. I refocused kids not working. I talked with some students having a tough day. I disciplined a kid I told repeatedly to stop throwing the markers. I stayed on them for better or worse. It felt good. It felt good to end the day with that focus. Focus doesn't necessarily mean getting a bunch done. It means doing it well, whatever it is.

I thought of this idea of active vs reactive and how I need to apply it to coaching and training. I think far too often I let my cross country practices taper off at the end. I think it would be smart to end with everyone coming back together and doing some sprints, strides, or and other work with focus as a group so that the next practice starts off really well. Same idea could be used for basketball, making sure you hit the last few shots you take despite being tired and ready to go home. I think I could use this in my own training as well. Instead of getting done with lifting and heading to the bikes to cool down, I could head to the mats to put in core work, refocusing my efforts and finishing strong. I could put in some sprints. There's a lot of areas I could use this for. Now, it will be up to me to look for more opportunities to use these ideas.

The other idea I really liked that Tim and Josh discussed, was living actively vs. reactively. The example Waitzkin gave to represent this idea deals with our obsessions and addictions with email. Waitzkin discussed the fact that most of us check our email after any type of break we take. After we sleep and get up, we check email. We take a bathroom break, then check email. We go to lunch, then come back and check email. Workout, check email. Waitzkin discussed how this is a reactive way to live. We always come off a break and then get things done based on the new information we have received form some external source. We react to the email. If you're like me, this is very true. And whats more, it feels good. It feels like I am accomplishing something if I get back from lunch and bang out some tasks pertaining to my inbox. I am reacting to someone's requests or information, though. I am not doing what I really think is important or want to do. Instead, I could be more active. After going to lunch or a waking up, I could focus on something I want to do or think about. Waitzkin says he tells people to focus on a topic or question as they go to bed. Upon waking up, they should journal about it, work on it, etc., before reacting to anything else. In this way we can work on the things we truly want to and think are important. This email idea is just one small sample, I think, of how you could use this in life. Think of all the situations on a daily or yearly basis in which you were reactive instead of active or proactive. I can think of many for myself.

Sometimes on the weekend my wife and I don't get enough done. We are both waiting for the other to explain their plans for the weekend in terms of house projects, errands, ideas for fun etc. We don't want to step on the other person's toes, so we don't say anything. Then we both get frustrated because nothing gets done or the wrong things get done. Its because we were both living reactively, with neither being active. If one of us took an active role an breached the subject off the bat, our weekends might seem longer and more productive. We might have more time for the fun stuff. Maybe if I take an active role, she will also take one and we will work together actively.

I think I might be able to apply this idea to coaching, as well. I often plan out the cross country season workouts ahead of time and then react to how things are going. I think that is actually a good way to coach, but not in all areas. For example, last season I knew my kids were getting sore and injured during the middle of the season, but I waited too long to react to it. This next season I can be more active ahead of time, knowing this is coming, and work on preventing the injuries instead of reacting to them. Instead of reacting to a lack of something or a problem, I need to be more active in preventing the issues.

None of these ideas are very specific and I am sure I can come up with more as I work through them. The idea, though, is to recognize when these opportunities arise. I need to recognize when I am living in a reactive state of mind vs trying to live actively, whether it be in coaching, my own training, in my classroom, in my job, or at home. How can I live more proactively and less reactively? I will try to keep this blog updated if I find any breakthroughs.

Trying to be the best version of me

Lately, I have been trying to find ways to be the best version of myself. This may stem from the birth of my son. I also think its a culmination of what I've been working towards this past 6 months. Honestly, I think its because of the Joe Rogan podcast. I know that sounds silly. If I told the me from 10 years ago that Joe Rogan's podcast would change my life, first I would ask what a podcast was, then I would tell you that its crazy that the Fear Factor guy will change my life. Its not necessarily Joe Rogan, but the ideas that I have heard since starting to listen to that show has sent me down a bunch of new paths that have been exciting, informative and transformativee is many small ways.

Here's a few examples:

• Bryan Callen discussed some of the ideas from the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. Since then I have read Blink and Outliers, both books with amazing ideas and tidbits of information in them. Its got me rethinking not only the world around me, but how I teach and coach. I plan on reading all his books.
• I was introduced to the amazing ideas of Graham Hancock, a regular day Indiana Jones mixed with a Shaman. His ideas and evidence about the possibility of an ancient and advanced culture much older and more capable than we previously believed possible is fascinating to me. His ideas about consciousness and ayahuasa are out there and awesome. I went way down the rabbit hole with this guy, searching out his many interviews on podcasts and getting ready to order some of his books. 
• I was introduced to the ideas of Terrence McKenna and read his book Food of the Gods, an interesting take on psychedelics and their role in human evolution, biologically and sociologically. Fascinating ideas. 
• I was introduced to the idea of a float tank and used my birthday as an opportunity to try it for myself. It was pretty damn great and I wrote a whole blog post about it if you want to know more.
• Duncan Trussell is a regular guest. He's very funny and has some incredible ideas that are fun to follow down the rabbit hole. I checked out his podcast (the Duncan Trussell Family Hour) and listened to and episode featuring Tim Ferriss. It was fascinating and I started checking out his podcast as well (The Tim Ferris Show or check out http://fourhourworkweek.com/blog/). I also read his book The Four Hour Body and am trying out some of the ideas now.

There are more ideas I could name, but starting here is a good spot. I feel that in the past 6 months I have grown more as a person than I did in the previous 5 years. I have changed my philosophies on several things and tried new ways of eating, sleeping, using free time, exercising, thinking, etc. Hell, I started this blog in response to many of the ideas I heard and wanted and outlet to share them. I could rant and rave about all of these ideas, but its been hard to write lately. I started a blog about the possibility of an ancient culture based on Graham Hancock's ideas, but I am struggling to present all the mounds of information and evidence. I don't want to write an informative essay. I have decided that I will try to write some short blogs about each new little idea I come across that I find interesting and worth discussing. I will put those ideas out there for others to check out and discover as well.

The main idea, I think, is that I am trying to improve myself to become the best version of m...physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. I am not a guru like Tim Ferriss. I am not as smart of insightful as Malcom Gladwell. I haven't traveled the world in search of the truth like Graham Hancock. All I have is my own experiences and what I am trying to do, many time based on ideas others have presented. So, in an effort to keep up this blog, which I think is of value to me and maybe a couple others at time, I am going o try to stick to this new plan. I may write blogs about good interviews, a great workout regiment I tried, new ideas, great books, and maybe some funny stories... but the idea of trying to become my best me will be the theme.

Why I run

I recently was working on an application to be a regional representative for a particular shoe company. Its a huge long shot and I don't expect to get it, but you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, right? One of the questions, though, was what does running mean to you? Huge, loaded question. Below is how I answered that question. I have been wanting to write some but was struggling. This came easy.

I am a teacher

I teach at a middle school and coach at the high school next door… cross country and track. I love talking to the middle school kids about running and joining track or cross country at both levels, but I know that running can be more than just a sport. Last year I had an 8^th grade girl in my class, we’ll call her Morgan. Morgan had serious home issues that lead to serious anger issues. She was in trouble a lot and was having a rough year. I teach art, and tried to help her get our some of her frustrations and anger through art, allowing her to work in my back work area, listen to music, and shut off the distractions for a little bit. I helped some, but the day she came back from the bathroom with bloody knuckles from punching the wall. I sat her down and had a conversation with her. I encouraged her to get into boxing and start running. I let her know I was serious and that I wanted her to come out and run for me at the high school and train with me that summer. I wanted to help her and find a way for her to find some mental peace as well as work off that angry energy. I asked her about it every day in class, telling her how I would train her and get her ready for the season. I wanted to let he know I still wanted to help her. I also called her mom and helped her figure out a place for Morgan to start taking boxing classes.

                I didn’t see Morgan that summer, or at practice, but one day she found me in the parking lot before practice. She told me she was sorry she wasn’t running, but she was too busy with classes and with boxing. She had starting winning bouts and moving up in rankings, but she promised me to come out next season and that she wanted to run for me. I know that running didn’t save her and that there’s a long road ahead, but the idea behind it helped. I think the running gods would smile down at her anyways. I look forward to next season.

I am a new father

My wife and I recently had a little baby boy… one month ago to be exact. He is beautiful and awesome. At my annual cross country annual dessert potluck banquet this past year, before he was born, the parents caught me as I thanked everyone and said goodnight. They had a surprise for me. Usually I get a couple small gift cards to Applebee’s or something. I don’t care. That’s not why I coach. Anything I get is gravy. When I opened the card they gave me, though, I cried. They pooled together enough money to allow me to go buy a jogging stroller so I could run with my son. I never expected anything. I am just thankful they let their kids run and buy them the shoes to do so with what little money they have.

I wanted to buy a jogger and run with my son, but had decided it wasn’t in the budget and I would just keep running on my own. My wife likes her boot camp classes and my poor dog has dysplasia, so I run on my own. But now I can take my son out to see the beautiful world while running. I can share with him my love for running as my dad did with me. I can’t wait to take him on my favorite trails, stopping to explore and play (or catch my breath from pushing him!).  I can’t wait to share this beautiful community of runners that encourage each other, help each other, and take care of each other. My son may not decide to become a runner, and that’s OK. But I want to at least share what I love about it with him as he now shares the same space in my heart.

I am a husband

I am so thankful to have a wife that loves me enough to understand my need to run. She understands why I need an hour or so each day to run let my legs fly. She understands why I use my spending money to sign up for races or buy new running shoes. She understands why I asked for a water bottle belt for Christmas. She understands why I coach, even though it takes up so much time and energy. She was even my assistant one year! She understands why, when on vacation, I can’t wait to go run.

The first time I had to host a cross country meet was for the League Championships. It was only my second year coaching. I had no assistant coach and only had 15 kids on the team with very little parent presence (Now I have over 50 and a whole community!). My wife took the day off work (she also teaches Art).  She and I set up the entire course that day, setting flags, pushing a chalking machine, and sweating profusely in the heat. We got it done and pulled it off and had a story to tell. She was there for me when I needed her and is always there for me when I complain about my hurt knees or a bad run or about a new crazy training idea I have. Heck… she bought me a Joe Vigil book for my birthday! She gets me and allows me to be “one of those crazy people” out running all the time. She, too, had her time in cross country and shows the love and sense of community well. Whether she knows it or not, I often run hard because I want her to be proud of me. It’s silly and I know it… but I do anyways.

I am a son

Both of my parents were or are cross country and track coaches. One of my earliest memories is being on my mom’s back, piggyback style, cheering for her runners at a meet. My mom gave up coaching to help raise my little brother and me, which I now know was a major sacrifice, being a coach myself. My parents never pressured me to run. They never made me run. They never tried to coach me as parents. They invited me to run and train. They encouraged me. They helped me. In high school my dad did my paper route on days I had morning runs after driving me to the high school.  They drove me hundreds of miles to tiny colleges to meet with their coaches when it was time to pick a school. They did the same for my brother.

Now that I am older, I now realize what they did for me. Outside of giving me opportunities and making sure I could run if I wanted, they always showed me the love they had for it, not as a beautiful but brutal sport, but as a frame of mind. They used running to spend time together, to release frustration, to enjoy a beautiful day, to explore on vacations, and to keep healthy and alive. My mom survived cancer and then kept running. My dad coaches year round, giving of himself constantly, and keeps running. (They need to build him a statue when he retires). They ran to prepare to hike the Grand Canyon, and made it down and up in the same day. The best runs I ever had were on family road trips after they would wake me up early to go run to see the sunrise in the mountains or on Lake Michigan.

I am now 32. I still love running. I run to enjoy the day, to let out emotions, and to explore. My brother now coaches with my dad. My mom helps him with his track team, making meals and washing clothes and buying shoes for kids who need help. I coach now and try to follow in my parents’ footsteps, teaching my athletes not only to compete and get better, but to love running and to use it as a lifelong labor of love. I am so excited to share this love and journey with my son, passing on to him the legacy of happiness and joy that can come from running. I truly am my parent’s son in all the best ways… or, at least, that’s what I’m striving for. 

On a run with my dad in Estes Park

I am a coach

Above anything I do or have ever done, which includes my own athletic accomplishments, my artistic accomplishments and joys, and my beautiful and budding family, I feel I have done the most good for the world as a coach. I have been coaching Cross Country and Track now for 8 years… since I started teaching. I could write a book on all the amazing memories and athletes I have had. Chapters upon chapters  could be written about the inspiring individuals I have had the privilege to work with… athletes and kids that have gone on to do amazing and incredible things. I make no claim that it was my influence or coaching that did this. It was them and I feel lucky to have been there to help in any small way I could. I have no major and amazing accomplishments to put on my resume as a coach. I built a team of 10 kids to 50 in 8 years. We went from near last to winning a recent league title. I have taken one kid to the State meet. It’s a small list. What I am most proud of will never been seen on a plaque or banner.

It is my goal, as a coach, to foster an environment of something more than success. I am most proud of my team when I see them together, without me, laughing and playing. I am proud when I see them all gather at the finish, without me, to cheer on our last runner as they strive for a PR. I am proud when I see my team cheering on other individuals from other teams as they gut out they race because they know how hard they are working. I am proud when my team sends me a text message of a picture of them all eating dinner together at Applebee’s for unlimited appetizers. I’ve seen kids come to the team as one person and leave on the other side as the best version of themselves time and time again. I’ve seen running teach kids the meaning of hard work and being humble. I’ve seen it break and rebuild. I’ve seen running change lives, form relationships, and create opportunities. My team has become a family. If they need a job reference, they can always call me. If I need help moving drywall into my basement, I call them. I get Christmas cards with pictures of their new families now, invites to going away parties as they enter the marines and air force, and invites to honorary dinners at their churches. There is something about running with another group of people for a season, going through each long, hot run, each grueling interval session, each giggle/stretching session, and each race in the mud and rain that creates a bond that exists across time and space. You feel you have been through the trenches with these people. You have run for them as well as with them. It’s beautiful. As a coach, I get to step back and see the forest for the trees sometimes, and it’s amazing. 

One of many great pictures of my team

I am a runner

I started running in 6^th grade. I trained a little with my dad after he asked if I wanted to try it. I agreed and ran a couple miles with him, soon going out on my own. I won that first race. I didn’t win many others after that, but I wasn’t bad, either. I was on varsity after my freshman year of high school in cross country. I ran every race as if it were my last, exhausting every muscle I had available to me.

 I ran in college as a walk-on for a bit, but quite because they coach was rotten (a story for another time). I decided to keep running, though. I ran on my own. For the first time, I ran just to run. Before there was always a goal. Now…. I just ran. I ran through rolling hills and stumbled upon herds of deer that took my breath away. I ran in a relay race from the Mississippi to the Ohio. I ran to train for an epic hiking road trip to the Badlands and Yellowstone. I learned to love the run. I ran when happy. I ran when mad. I ran when stressed. I ran when I ate too much pizza and sometimes after too much beer. I ran because I was free do so. I ran without a watch, or headphones, or even a shirt.  I didn’t know how good I had it.

I run now to stay in shape, setting pacing goals, wearing a watch, and using apps to track my performance. I run each day for a specific reason and usually have a goal in mind. I run to stay sane and stay in shape. I run to keep away from bad habits and negative thoughts. I run to avoid cleaning the garage. I run with a certain amount of time available. I run to prepare to be able to keep up with my athletes and try out training ideas. I sign up for races to make sure I have a goal in mind for my runs. I keep up on the latest news in shoes, training, eating, lifting, etc.

But once in a while, there’s a day…. There’s a beautiful day where I have nothing to do. There’s a day where I have time and energy. There’s a day where it’s just me and my running shoes. It’s really those days that I run for. I stay in shape and healthy and fine-tuned so when those days come… I’m gone. I’m off without a goal, without a time constraint, and without a worry. I pick a direction, and I run. I feel the world around me again and rediscover how beautiful it can all be. That’s really what I run for.