Running on Empty

Running on - running on empty
Running on - running blind
Running on - running into the sun
But I'm running behind

Every once in awhile I feel depleted of energy with running and being out on the road or trail. For so many, the energy in life also feels depleted. Life in so many ways is like running, a microchasm of our life experiences - the ups and downs, the desire to be better, the disappointment when we are not, the effort, the rest and recovery, the passion, what we can control and what we can't. However, our running, like our lives, is ours and we can affect it however we want. If we want to run better, we need to run more - if we want to live better, we need to live more.

It is time to start training for fall marathons. I have established my base and now beginning to execute on a plan to prepare myself mentally and physically for the distance. Baltimore will be my 15th marathon and my 5th consecutive Baltimore Marathon. The beauty of the marathon is that you need to train yourself for each and every one. You can't just wake up one morning as say, "Hey, I think I will run a marathon tomorrow!" It is an arduous process that each marathoner generally loves and despises at the same time - a love/hate realtionship if you will. It is similar to life as it takes substantial effort to get one to the finish. In life, like training for and running a marathon, I am generally running into the sun, running blind, running behind and certainly running on empty. The body and mind responds to this and as long as you nourish both, they will get you to finish. You might have to go a little ways on empty but that is our struggle within when the body and mind do not agree - the body says stop, your killing me but the mind says, don't stop you can do it, what's a little pain and effort. OK, in some cases it is a lot of pain. Sometimes it is the mind that goes while your body still wants to run and live. "That which does not kill me only makes me stronger." That is what training and adversity is all about in life and running the marathon - it makes us stronger. It allows us to go further with less pain. It allows us to run on empty, sometimes blind but we find the finish and then look for the next starting line.