*Statement not valid if you are a crypt-keeper, or a minion of Lucifer**
**(Republican-AZ)
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| As clarification, this is the crypt-keeper. Though I hear TLC is trying to sign Beelzebub to a TV deal. |
The march through time brings highs that necessitate lows, and nearly room temperatures that necessitate almost, but not quite lukewarms. This weekend, and this time in my life generally, is an example of that relativity with which we evaluate our experiences, ourselves, and our abilities to parallel park (Evaluation: A, B, and OH MY GOD WHAT DID THAT BUMPER/CAR/SMALL CHILD DO TO DESERVE THAT, respectively). It all started with a Saturday morning marathon. Now, I am not ready for a marathon. I never will be ready for a marathon. My children will probably be allergic to Snickers Marathon candy bars. And their children will likely crash their flying Segway at a Marathon Gas Station/Teleportation Supply Store.
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| A willow tree silhouetted by the sun, taken just before our cyclist passed me the baton. MY TESTOSTERONE COULD FILL A GRAIN SILO. |
But as a favor to a friend, I ran the relay leg marathon in the Beach 2 Battleship Ironman Triathlon. The tantric root canal was accompanied by a moment when I was waiting in line at a porta-potty while eating a Chocolate energy gel. I feel as if that was the point I decided to reevaluate my life, because if I had waited just another minute to get to the front of the line before opening the gel, I probably would have winked out of existence in a matter/anti-matter collision. And no hound dog wants to go while sitting on the toilet.
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| His hair was also a bomb shelter. |
Anyway, I decided to turn it into a long run, stopping at each aid station to drink, and my body still reacted with a trip to the med tent due to low blood pressure after crossing the line first. On a 2:32 pace at the 3/4 mark (out and back, out and back course), I walked in while fighting full body cramps. But we won! And I set the course record by 20 minutes! Plus I'm uninjured because of all the walking! Moreover, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER! Granted, after the porta-potty trip, I'm not sure I want to know exactly what it is.
Contrasting that experience with the rest of life, however, it is immediately evident that things are relatively awesome. The next day I explored Eno River with an amazing girl (I don't think she is imaginary, because my imagination is not that talented), enjoying every moment in a way that I couldn't comprehend 24 hours before. And I guess that's the moral of the story--whether extraneous or self-inflicted, life is full of valleys that can plunge into the very abyss of questioning the act of living itself. But juxtaposed next to those valleys are soaring mountains. What is unceasingly exciting, what is relatively awesome, is that those mountains are around us every day, if we just know where to look.
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| Is he trying to say that there is cocaine under the water?? |
So things are great! Last night I had dinner with John and Patricia Adams, world-changing founders of the Natural Resources Defense Council--their brilliance, enthusiasm, and advice are great reminders of why I am in law school. As for law school....well, I am pretty sure the day after that marathon is going to be awesome too.
glad you survived! sounds pretty standard for a first marathon, especially your body's/mind's reaction upon finishing. don't worry though, within a couple days you'll be wondering where you can sign up to run another one as soon as possible...don't fight the urge. give in to the dark side.
ReplyDeletecongrats on your first marathon!
ReplyDeleteThe willow by the sun picture is awesome! How did you get the background to come out like that? And it's cool that you are getting to meet influential people. It seems that often times in life it comes down to who we know and less what we know?
ReplyDeleteDave:
ReplyDeleteI've been witing for you to post a RR about B2B on your blog before sending you an e-mail. I read your report today, I just had to laugh (my children will hate Marathon candy bars) and believe me I am laughing with you and not at you. I knew running your first marathon would be tough but I thought based on your race in Leadville and the high mileage you ran this fall that you were ready or I never, ever would have suggested it.
So I don't know whether to offer my congratulations or condolences. On the one hand, you set a course record and were on a team that won by close to an hour. On the other hand, based upon your and Bob's posts, it sounds like you were really in the hole at the end. As a glass half full guy, I hope that you enjoyed the race, testing your body, meeting new people, and the win. Obviously, blowing up because you overcooked a short race is no big deal. But I've hit the wall in two longer races and neither time was it pretty so I know exactly what you were going through. The first time in 2008 I went out real hard in a 15 miler, it was hot, and I had to walk it in. This was particularly embarassing because it was in my home town and I had to walk past about 500 people (literally) I knew and I was just dying. The second time I hit the wall in a major way at mile 29 of my second 50k and I just melted down completely. I was shuffling and doing some strange pantomine of running in which I would jog 50 yards, walk 50 yards and try not to fall down or puke. Got passed by two people at the end and just had to watch them go, couldn't even think about responding. My best friend met me at the line and said it was like talking to a drunk--I was transposing and slurring words, etc.
But as dumb as it sounds, I learned more from those two races than any other athletic event I've done in the last decade. The next time I ran the 15 miler I paced it perfectly, set a massive PR, was third in my AG and 26th overall which for me were just incredible results (I'm not a gifted runner like you are). So as cliched as it sounds, I think you are going to benefit from the blow up in the future, particularly, when you start running ultras which is where you are going to be a superstar (even if you don't know it yet).
Just to show you that I'm not a total wimp who won't do his own dirty work, if Bob and those guys need someone next year I will volunteer even though on my best day I couldn't break 3:10 and probably would be lucky to break 3:15, but if they need a runner and you don't want to do it, I'll take my turn in the hurt locker.
Hit the books and get this semester over with and then have some fun. Congrats on the hot date on the river. I took a bunch of dates hiking on the Eno River on Old Erwin Rd. when I was in law school. Great place.
Phil
Lucho, I plan to sleep my way to the top. Even if it is a Devil's threesome with 70 year-olds.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right though. I think a lot of success is just karma--being genuinely interested in people, and it may come back through those lucky interactions. With the picture, I increased the "Shadow" on the camera because I was shooting into the sun.
Phil, that means so much to me. Sending you a more comprehensive response through email, but I just wanted to say that you are totally right, on everything. Especially the hot dates...
ReplyDeleteAlex and IB, thanks so much. I hated every second, but I hope to be stronger from it. IT HITS BECAUSE IT LOVES.
ReplyDelete