So, today I ran what may be my last run of the year. 6.7 miles is a very common distance for me. Once a week or more (on average), I meet up with my friend of many years, Lauren, and usually at least once a week we will run a 6.7 mile loop that begins and ends at her home. I usually run it faster than an hour. Today, it took well over an hour. but it involved a 500 foot altitude climb in a little less than a mile.Why did I do that run? I did it because this is the fourth or fifth year in a row that I have reached the overlook point at the summit of Massanutten. I enjoy doing it at least once a year on vacation. I am not sure how many more years I will be able to do it at a run. But it is a measure of my ability to still run hills--big hills.
I remember what may have been the first time I did it--I was training for the Comrades (ultra)Marathon. That is a 56 mile run in South Africa with some wicked hills. It was months in advance but a good indicator of things to come.
In the years since Christmas 2015, I have continued to do it. Each year before this year, I was worried about my time. This year, from the time I turned the corner past the last condominium development on the mountain till I reached the top (about 0.9 miles), I didn't look at my watch at all. I just enjoyed going up and up and up. Being sure to put one foot in front of the other. Working very hard. Meeting the continued up with energy I had. Not worried about my time. Just focused on keeping up the run to the top.
When I reached the summit, I stopped to take a few photos before coming down. The down was also slow given how steep it was and a desire to be careful.
This is a good way to close my running year. I ran 2122.2 miles. This is the fourth calendar year in which I have exceeded 2000 miles (2014, 2016, and 2017 were the three earlier years.) Never one to "just get something done," the least miles I'd run before when exceeding 2000, was 2222.2. So, this year I have run 100 miles less, but still substantially over 2000 miles.
The fact that I just ran and did not worry about time was symbolic of my entire year. I ran most of my miles with others this year. We almost always had a route planned, a distance planned, or a time planned (or all three). But with a small number of exceptions, we just ran. Lots of conversation. Lots of friendship. Just taking it all in.
A year with "no particular place to go" in terms of my running. And sometimes, having "no particular place to go" is a good thing.
It means I can really be present. I'm not looking ahead as I'm not "headed" someplace.
It means I can enjoy because I am appreciating what I have and not planning ahead.
It means I can take it all in.
It is not a bad way to approach life. Of course, there are times when I have goals. There are times when I plan ahead. There are times when I have goals. Those aren't bad. But they can draw the focus away from the present. This has been a year of simply being present in my running.
It made me think of some lines from the Christopher Robin movie of 2018.
One quote, "Your life is happening right now in front of you." Definitely a good thought for this morning and for running and life in general.
Another quote, "Sometimes, when I'm going somewhere, I wait. And then somewhere comes to me." Clearly, I am always coming to things when I am running. But this has been a year of a lot of "waiting" to see what happens. I stayed healthy. I enjoyed. I grew friendships. I had an opportunity for much mindfulness. Plenty of great things came to me as I covered the ground.
Finally, "I always get to where I am going by walking away from where I have been." Each time I run, I continue on. I see what the run brings. One run at a time. One mile at a time. On step at a time. Again, great for this morning's steep hill, great for running in general, and great for life in general.
So, I have learned a lot this year about mindfulness and presence from running. Be in the moment. Take in what comes. Enjoy.
If you run, what has your running taught you in 2018? If you are not a runner, what other activity do you do and what have you learned?
