How Can Something be Simultaneously Depressing & Uplifting? Read On Lovely People To Find Out!

I find it quite amusing that, as I write this, I’m rolling my weary right ankle and popping another anti-inflammatory into my mouth. I mean, here I am preaching to all and sundry the benefits of smacking our feet and legs into concrete and asphalt routinely under the guise of ‘healthy living’, and yet quite often of late I quite frequently wake up hobbling around like a wizard-esque extra from a Peter Jackson film!

I guess the long and the short of it, is that we are all aware of what is necessary to ‘healthily’ punish our bodies….but the inconvenience of matters such as ‘warming up’, ‘stretching’ or ‘rest’ can sometimes fall on deaf ears…especially if the instruction is coming from a pair of lips 1 ½ inches south!

But this is another blog, for another time….

What I’m writing about specifically though, is something I’ve been pondering about for a little while. In fact, I was thinking about it as I tried in vain to catch (to no avail) a very wily runner who (eventually) beat me last night in a 10km race. I’m referring to something athletes of almost every code and type thinks about constantly; the incessant question that rings out louder with every step traveled  or rep completed. The question is;

“How long will it be until I reach my absolute peak, and the inevitable decline in performance begins?”

Without dwelling too much on this, it will happen. The pure fact is, some of us will lose interest, become injured, or simply will lose physical strength and ability. There simply aren’t that many 80 year-olds running onto football fields, fly-kicking UFC fighters, or running sub 2hr10min marathons!

Sadly old father time is wearily tapping his Garmin GPS watch with a raised eyebrow with every step I take. My time is drawing closer to the end with every minute.

But wait! Before you give up your current sport and decide to take up Cliff-diving or unassisted-bridge-bungee jumping, there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

It happened a few minutes after I finished last night, while I hugged my parents and tried to avoid a wild storm that overtook everyone else unfortunate enough to be still running.

(FYI there was ACTUALLY a ridiculously vicious storm, this is no metaphor….at least on my behalf…I can’t categorically vouch for any not-so-benevolent-omnipresent being, or beings?.....I digress)

I watched a much younger; and very, very talented runner come in 3^rd place and I realised that tonight….tonight, I had the mental grit and toughness that only comes from a little bit more age.

I’m not naïve to say this elevates me over this (or any runner)….that runner has beaten me in the past, quite easily, and he WILL beat me in the future (he’s an amazing runner to watch that’s for sure). Like a fine wine, he will only get better…which is very scary!

But my point is, we a creatures made up of life experiences! These experiences make us stronger and give us memories to draw upon when life gets tough. We build resolve from them and when the unthinkable is possible, we use them to draw strength!

And best of all…..this is what keeps us feeling young. We have found the holy-grail and the time machine for feeling young, without the embarrassment of buying gold chains, convertible cars, hair-plugs and Ed Hardy t-shirts!  

Until the next morning of course, when the hangover of stiff joints brings us very much into the present!

But we wouldn’t have it any other way…..would we?

(Time to start stretching!)

Happy Running/Exercising!

Clay