So, today I feel particularly inspired to write. After a satisfactory performance and finish at the Asics LA Marathon on St. Patrick’s Day and evaluating my race schedule for the rest of the year naturally many thoughts start to surface. While corresponding and interacting with my awesome Twitter followers today discussing post-race topics, one of my friends asked me for some advice. They really wanted to run an upcoming race that I will be participating in, but have the dilemma of wanting to save money and do the right thing for their finances. The conversation continued where they said always see my posts about my medals and my great gear and didn’t want to miss out on the action. I am 100% humbled and flattered by that. This person asked me what they should do…so of course I do what any good natured person would do. Spill the truest tea and nothing but the tea.
I told this person that they should make the right decision for themselves. This is one of many races. If you can’t make this one, plan accordingly and find a race coming up in the future. This will also give you adequate time to train and maybe even PR at this upcoming race! Then I said something that actually shocked me. I literally had to go back to my Twitter feed and evaluate my statement. I said the following “Always remember to run your own race! Every medal and every race is a page in the story that is your life. Write your masterpiece one race and one day at a time.” Talk about Inspirational Realness! Now let me see if I can explain this.
We have all heard the phrase ‘Run your own race.’ That isn’t new and I didn’t come up with that. But I think for runners this is a small quote that we apply to our everyday lives and situations. Run your own race could be applied at your job, in your home, in other hobbies or activities. I think it just fits. Do you and be the best you that you can be at all times.
Every single race medal we earn tells a story! No two races are ever the same…EVER! I can pull any medal off of my rack and tell you a story about that race day. How I felt, where I was, the emotions and thoughts I felt when I was there, how I felt at the finish line. They are small chapters in my personal novel that is my life. Racing is a part of who I am. My life has other wonderful chapters and stories within it. But when I sit back and I look at how seemless the pages fit into the book, how the impacts of running have changed my life and the lives of others….THAT is a masterpiece.
Tomorrow is not a promised day for anyone. When we leave to move on to the next stage of life, what is the legacy you want to leave behind? Not to be morbid, but it’s gonna happen. I want my novel to be a Pulitzer Prize winning, New York Times Best Seller piece of literature. Sure, I am not perfect. No, I don’t know all the answers. Yes, I’ve screwed up. And the meaning of life is ’42.’ But what I do know for a fact is that we all have an obligation to ourselves first to be the best people that we can be. You will stumble. But it’s in how you recover. Grace. Love. Dignity. Respect.
Go forth and write that novel! Run those races! Cheer on your friends! Appreciate and love those that are closest to you! Forge new bonds! Add chapters to this book of yours. The best part about it is, your book can’t run out of pages.
RUN ON!
