8.70 Miles Easy

I rolled up to Memorial Park and debated whether or not to do my run. I decided not to. It was raining pretty hard and the park had torrential rain, so it was soaked. So here I was all nice and cozy in my truck. I really didn't feel like getting wet. You know the feeling. When you are nice and comfy it is really hard to convince the body to get soaked and muddy. At least for me it is. It's not like I don't have to go to work afterwards. So there I was. I decided to eat my post run snack for breakfast before I changed clothes and left. As I was eating here comes 70 something year old Ruben knocking on my window. He was soaked. Not just a little soaked but drenched. He asked me if I was going to run. I said no. He said he was in the middle of doing a 14 mile run. Wow. We exchanged pleasantries and then he left. Then I thought to myself. If a 70 something year old man had the guts enough to get drenched, then I should be more than up to the challenge. Ok, not really. The rain had let up and I figured I could get in 9 miles without getting too wet. But alas it was just a tease. For not too long after I started running it started raining a little more. Then a little more. Then a lot. But by then I was already physically and mentally committed. I was wet. Totally drenched. I was running straight through the puddles and the hard rain started feeling like nothing. Because when you are in the middle of it, you feel nothing, and nothing bothers you. The weather tricked me into becoming committed to the run.

Maybe there are parallels in life. You are against taking that first step because you are all nice, cozy, and comfy. Taking that first step is uncomfortable so you don't do it. But then it starts looking more appealing or less difficult. So you take that first step, but then the rug is pulled out from underneath. But you don't mind so much because you are fully committed now and there is no turning back. It isn't as difficult as you thought. The most difficult part is taking that first step.