This morning in Liberty Park I ran REALLY slowly. How slowly did I run? Dude, if I had stood completely still in one place, I would have been running faster than I was this morning.
It was kind of depressing, actually, because NOT TO BRAG but there was a day when I sometimes placed in local road races. The smaller ones, obviously. But still.
Now, though? I am slow. And old. And I seriously did ask myself why I keep at it, now that my chances of ever winning anything have dried up (like a raisin in the sun and so forth). This is not nothing for me. When it comes to sports crap, I am actually pretty competitive and un-easy going. I WANT TROPHIES, DAMMIT!
I guess I'm still running because at some level I must want to. Duh, I know. But in a weird kind of way I own it more for myself now that I'm the only one giving me snaps for getting out there. That's the surprising gift of diminishing capacity, I guess--you value what you have that much more.
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I truly think one of the greatest blessings of old age is realizing that you don't have to compete anymore. If you're still running, however slowly, you're doing it because you love running. And, of course, Liberty Park, which is the BEST.
Sorry, I forgot I'm quite a bit older than you. Aging. I should have said aging not old age.
I'm the opposite of you. I don't like to compete I just run for stress release. I don't even like it that much. But I still run three miles three times a week.
I guess it's a comfortable habit.
You should do some of those races though, cause the older you get...the less competition.
I'm just sayin'
Um, at the risk of adding to your mania, why don't you just buy your own trophies, for whatever you think you deserve them for? Like the fastest person your age, or the fastest writer in the race? I have been known to buy my own awards if the race didn't give them out. I've got dozens, but each one matters. I had to leave a race once before I got my award months ago and it STILL bothers me.
We are gonna kill it in the Tinkerbell half! Or not. Whatever.
I think the tortoise won the trophy. Keep running, keep writing, keep breathing, keep drinking Dr. P and eating bacon-laced doughnuts, and keep on keeping on, and when you get a trophy case of memories, keep going.
Love the Langston Hughes reference. And it's always fun hearing my mom yell out that she wants trophies.
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