Well that title doesn't sound very inspiring...Ok so before I start, let me bore you with my morning run details and then I will get to the point. So I left this morning after downing some waffles with the kids and wife and ran to Petes to get a double shot of espresso. On the way there I got nipped in the butt by a big dog. The dogs owner was this lady in a wheel chair that was talking to some guy right on the bridge. I was kind of ticked that she didnt appologize for her dog or even sternly yell at it. So I got to Petes a little shaken up and after downing the doubleshot I was on my way to the hills of Novato. I ran up some streets, passed some wild turkeys and got to the trail head. The creeks were running from last weeks rains and the smells of moist soil was refreshing. I pushed my way up a 600 ft hill and stopped a minute to hear several birds chirping away. I took in the nature as I ran down the ridge. I exited the open space and ran by several farms. I heard chickens, saw baby goats, saw a pair of peacocks pass me, saw some horse being fed their morning hay. All in all it was a nice run. Just about 8 miles...no big deal. But, really, do I have to run 100 miles to be inspiring these days? I mean they are saying yesterdays 100 mile is today 135. What will be tomorrows distance to write home about? 200? 300?
This gets to my point. Dean Karnazes one day ran 25 or 30 miles for the first time. He was so inspired that he ran the ARC 50 not long after that. Then he did Western States which was a monumental accomplishment for him. But do you think that he would ever write about doing Western States again? Been there done that, right? Next he ran from Calistoga to Santa Cruz for a cause. Then he ran 50 marathons in 50 days. But what is he going to write about next?
Scott Jurek, one of my trail running heros recently wrote an eye opening article in the April issue of Runners World. After being a 7 time Western States winner, he is no longer winning races. He got a divorce from his wife, and he just seems unmotivated to race. His mission is to help people be healthier and he asked himself, "how is beating everyone helping them with that goal?" He got disillusioned and his motivations of competing and being the best led him away from his true passions. You can see by visiting his blog that his passion for running has fallen off the cliff. There is not a single post for 2010. Hopefully he will find himself again. Or maybe he did and running races is not himself.
I knew a guy who would buy a brand new car every 6 months. He would buy the car, smell that new car smell, show off his car to his friends and then get bored with it and buy another one. People do that with relationships too. You know that song..."You lost that loving feeling". If love was a feeling then we would be trading our wives every 6 months too, right?
You know what I think the problem with motivation is? We don't appreciate the little stuff that makes what we do great. If I can't enjoy the turkeys, peacocks, birds, trees, streams and just breathing the fresh air on a nice run. If I can't enjoy the redwoods in Muir woods, the ocean views, the rolling fog over the hills as I run free in the mountains. If that stuff doesnt motivate me to get outside and jump into my running shoes...then I have lost it.
If I can't enjoy giving my kids piggy back rides, putting them down at night and talking about my day with my wife...If I can't enjoy solving a computer problem at work and making someones day a little more productive...then what am I living for?
I love looking forward to races. I want to run from Oregon to Mexico along the Coastal trail one day. That stuff excites me. It gives me something to look forward to, but if I can't enjoy the ride there, then I will quit. PR'ing, distance goals, big races are all great, but if that is your motivation, then I say you are not going to be running 20 years from now. You will one day injur yourself, get too old to do something you have never done and loose your mojo. You will be a slog watching Oprah Winfey reruns on your old couch, telling your friends what a great runner you used to be. Maybe I should change my blog tittle to To Run or watch Oprah? or PR today Couch Tomorrow. Hmm, let me think about that...
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