A Long-Term Project

We visited our friends in Guelph, Ontario a few weeks ago, whose parents were visiting from India. I always enjoy seeing their parents as they tell captivating stories of where they live and the amazing farm they have built over the years. During our conversation, the father told me that after 20 years of work, he finally considers the farm self-sustainable, which I believe has been his goal since the beginning. During a run, I commented to Christina on how amazing I thought this accomplishment was and how we seldom see such examples of patience and perseverance nowadays, especially within our generation.

Over the years, Christina and I have kept the bibs from the various races we have participated in. Last year, Christina ordered BibFolios from Gone For A Run so that we could file them away and document our finishing times and any other details about the events. After gathering as many of the bibs as we could find from our parents' houses during the holidays, I spent some time this week putting the BibFolios together. As I went through the bibs and looked up old finishing times, I realized that my first race (the Bob Hartwell Half Marathon, in Aurora, Ontario) was in 2005 and that over the years, my times have improved significantly. I was reminded of my comment to Christina and thought that maybe this is an example, or perhaps early signs, of perseverance and patience that leads to something great.

Running is one of the few sports where one can continue to improve despite growing older. Some critics will say that years of pounding the pavement will take a toll on the body. Instead, I see it as a long term project, worth dedicating time and effort, because in the end the benefits will far outweigh the drawbacks.

This is why I run.