On, and Off

A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama


Saturday I went long; out early to cruise up Park, head west on Griffin, to Stirling, south at the Seminoles and finally taking the long stretch east on Thomas and home. Over 10? And just enough to let me know that my right leg and hip are getting pushed to the max again....I would have liked to go long again this morning, but I really want to avoid injury. So I didn't- maybe later, a short jaunt out and back just to stretch out my legs.

Modulating training is tough to do! I've been running at high intensity for a long time now, without any significant breaks for most of the year. The uber/ultra runner in me doesn't want to take any limitation...after all, if Dean can run everyday, ultra long, why can't I?
I look at myself with as much realism as I can stand. Every runner has a vision of who they want to be; faster, stronger, more flexible, or like me, more 'in sync' with the various levels at work, towards a harmony of performance and feeling. It takes time and effort to achieve any deep change, and yet, like my clients, every little step in the right direction is the right direction. I have to balance my vision as invincible, as guided by spirit, with the reality of physical work. I step outside the door of 'awkward wanna-be' which was my self-image until running, for everything about me physically, to another way of perceiving myself; potential, development, opening my capacity up for change.

We don't know what we prepare for anymore. Is it just a marathon? Or is it the next stage in our worldview which calls up this morphing of purpose? Do we recognize the road we run on as a way out of ourselves? And if so, do we always find a better us? I sense, for me, the tide is just now turning. Driven ambition is settling down into practical purpose, a ready stance that says anything is still (and always) possible. As the strands of chaos drive closer into the matrix of the zeitgeist, leaping into the unknown has never been more rewarding. And fun.