Confessions of a Dreamer

Spoiler alert: lots of good lessons learned.

This is the Rex Lee Run for a cancer cure, I am the one in the white (and eventually very red face)

Lesson 1: Desire does not qualify you for the race.

I really wanted to do this, several from my office have been planning to do it for months. I finally got around to preparing for it this year. I was not going to run, just walk and I had been working on my treadmill somewhat faithfully and did feel that if I could do two miles on a flat treadmill, what is the difference with doing three on city streets. (you see where this is going) There were thousands at this race (along with my very prepared co-workers) it was a cool morning but I really wanted to do this. So the race began and we started off......uphill. Remember I said that I had been working on a flat treadmill......this is where the red face came it. I made it almost to the top and when all of the mothers pushing 3 and 4 kids in stollers had past me ( and little kids pushing strollers had past me) I figured I would probably drop over dead and then one of those little kids would have to push me back in a stoller because I couldn't breath anymore. So I quit and headed back down hill. I was not prepared and my wanting it was not going to make it happen.

I spent about 2 minutes of my usual self-loathing time as I walked back down hill when it suddenly occured to me....I was breathing!

Lesson 2: Not all the race is uphill

It only took a few seconds of going downhill before I had caught my breath and was doing ok. I even considered turning around and trying again but I knew I could only have probably really made it to the two mile marker before I would have pooped out. I would have to walk two miles back to the car. But it really was one of those "AHA" moments when I realized that not everything is uphill all the time and if I had just hung in there a few more steps, I could have gone on a little further.

Lesson 3: The only person I am competing against is myself

As I walked back to the starting line/finish line to turn in my tag, I came to understand that it did not matter who past me up, I was in this for me and not for them. My shoe tag recorded what I did, not what they did and I was never in it to come in first, just to do it. Which someday I will, for me.

Lesson 4: Preparation is the key

Which brings me back to lesson one. You just can't fake your way through things and have it matter. You have to be prepared and know what is expected to complete "the race" which I am going to do. I am going to run a 10K some day. There are going to be hills, and surprises but correct preparation along with a fair amount of desire will help me get it done.(D&C 27:16)

I am not discouraged and for the most part my red face has gone away (until Monday when I go back to work), I got some good exercise in that morning, and now have a training plan in place for the next race. Lessons learned.