run For your life!!

Having the opportunity to spend time around such high level performers this passed weekend a few things have been imprinted on me. While I did touch on these in previous posts, I think it is important to go a little deeper and give full credit to aspects of success which stood out to me.

Maturity of Play
The single most important thing to me, for a successful, mature runner (at any age) is the ability to allow yourself to play through your run! It is so simple, and so difficult to do purposefully.

I think we all know about those times when we have a goal, a plan and the desire to stick with all of this. Soon enough we find ourselves in the spiral-flushing of disappointment as some random event enters the equation which we could never have planned for. Feeling as if this change is insurmountable we quickly become discouraged and toss in the towel, at least a little bit.

But- what if... we were to take a more simple approach to our run, and to our life. Listen- running is a concentrated expression of how we live our life! It is no less serious than this! Do not be mistaken. Because it is so urgent that we live life properly, because it is so serious! We need to remember in every moment to find the play in that moment, that happiness and joy! Because life is so serious, it should not be taken so seriously.

No splits, no garmins. Only the moment.

So, allow yourself the maturity- to find pleasure in your steps. As if by accident, you will find joy and pleasure AND as a secondary result of this successful process, you will have had a rewarding experience which is not married to statistical results.

The Confidence of Joy
Have you ever been happy five minutes from now?

When are you happy? In those present-moments, think about your confidence level. Do you have doubts? Do you even have positive thoughts?

Likely that in moments of joy, you are simply reacting with positive energy and behaving in concert with the environment. You are having moments of perfection- what is called sartori.

When we find ourselves able to do so in all situations- we perform at our best.

Every moment of our life we have a choice between lightness and darkness. Take on this responsibility! It is your life. Choose happiness and joy and laughter. Find the moment blissfully.

When you do this- confidence and doubt dissipate and you are left with pure experience!

Immersion
These are the lessons I took with me, from a trying travel experience and then having a few hours around successful athletic performers. I think you will find, as you look around at the best 'livers of life' around 'us' they are little concerned with questioning themselves and most involved in the experience of the moment.

Just about the time I completely fell apart physcially and the herd chewed me up!

We say these type of people have charisma...

We say we are inspired by them because they are a good example...

I say, be that person, for yourself. Happy Running!