A Few Things Running Has Taught Me About Life
*~* Christian Martin *~*
I’ve been running my whole life. I started at five years old when my Dad, a German immigrant, enrolled me into soccer—the family sport. In those days, the notion of kids in little league soccer, playing on a smaller field with smaller goals was as much of a foreign concept as the sport was in America. Our little legs had to carry us little kids all over a big adult size football field, converted into a soccer field.
I didn’t love running then. Those days were filled with wind sprints and team runs around a gigantic field that seemed to never end. I don’t even remember learning much about dribbling, ball control, or anything related to soccer except for those darn runs. And, running was a common thread in my soccer career through high school. I hated running!
Something happened though on a run the first time I ever laid eyes, and feet, on the beach. This Colorado boy had never experienced the ocean before until one early morning at Camp Pendleton California, in the middle of Marine Corps boot camp, our commanding officer took us on a grueling five-mile run. Not that the distance was grueling but it was our insane pace in ankle deep sand at the water’s edge.
Yet, it was that run that changed my hatred for running into, “I might sorta like this,” affair. The idea of the places and scenery I could see on a run was a brand new concept. Since then, I’ve made running a love and a daily practice in my life that truly has changed even the way I view life itself.
So, I’d like to share with you a few tidbits that running has taught me over the years.
A) It’s temporary. No matter how grueling or mind-numbing the run is, like our problems and frustrations, it will end. Like seasons, bad times in our lives come and go. That long, grueling run will come to an end and afterward you’ll feel such a satisfaction and confidence in yourself for accomplishing it, you’ll swear you can conquer anything. It sucks to go through tough times but they pass and in the end, you learn so much more about yourself and it feels great to come out on the other side.
B) Stress. Anyone who runs will tell you that this is one of the best ways to relieve stress. It’s a cortisol killer—you know, that stress hormone that keeps you awake at night worrying about money issues, work issues, life issues…a good run will zap that hormone right out of the system. A run doesn’t fix the issues, but for me, it helps me to sort out what’s important and I’m able to think a bit clearer about resolving issues and helps me sleep better at night.
C) Stay in the moment. Every time I’ve let my brain time travel to the past, or the future while running, I trip, I fall, I step down wrong and then…BAM! Sprain an ankle or worse. After I troubleshoot why I crashed, almost every time it was because I was NOT thinking about the run right then. Life is overwhelming when I let myself daydream about past failures or future situations/conversations that will probably never happen. Life works smoother when I can bring my attention to right now, I seem to stumble less that way.
D) It’s fleeting. Suppose this could go with A above, but no matter how far or hard I go, before I know it, the run is over. Life is fleeting. This thought helps me to prioritize what is truly important—think C above. And, as with B above, life is too short to worry and stress over things I can’t change and perhaps what I do get upset over, maybe, just maybe, it isn’t that big of a deal after all.
In a way, with all of its life lessons, I suppose running has become an obsession with me that George Sheehan (author of Going the Distance) summed it up best, “The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life.”
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ANOTHER BLACK CANYON ASCENT IN THE BOOKS!
*~* Jan Peart *~*
On May 19th the San Juan Mountain Runners hosted the 43rd BCA. The weather was beautiful and the participants relished the moderate temps. AND we turned a profit! That’s not easy to do because of the costs involved in putting this event together.
We couldn’t do it without all the dedicated volunteers: Dan Novak, Christian Martin, Kristen St. Jean, Tina Carter, Tina Hodson, Stacey Bohman, Sherry Heinel, Ammon & Kimberly Leggett and sons, Katie Sanders, Dan Unrast, Sue Hibbard, Kathy Urso, Laurie Hadley, Vickie Harrington, Connor Hardy, Barbara Roberts, Jeremy Hart, Nancy and David Jensen, Chris Depuy and the ham radio team.
And a special thanks to my “can’t-do-it-without-’em”– Dan Quigley, Lori Lambeth, Julie Osborne, and Nathan Moyer.
We are already gearing up for next year, making some changes, and continuing to work on growing the event.
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SJMR teams up with Ridgway Adventure Sports to bring you
Part 2 in our Educational Series
*~* Mary Plumb *~*
Join us Friday June 29th from 5:45-7:30 as Jill Sommers, Certified Ironman/Performance Coach, presents:
S.M.A.R.T. is the new FAST
Whether you want to get off the couch and start walking or you want to elevate your running to new levels, the first step is to get your brain in the game. Did you know you can improve your performance without any additional physical effort simply by getting S.MA.R.T.? Attend this presentation to learn the top 5 performance secrets that will catapult not only your run, but also your life, to the next level.
Jill Sommers is a Performance Coach who empowers people to make transformational change in sport and life. As a 5-time Ironman finisher and Ironman coach, Jill brings 25 years of experience and education to her coaching and presentations.
Andy and Amanda at Ridgway Adventure Sports are opening their doors for an evening of education, store introduction, giveaways and camaraderie. There will be refreshments, prizes, discounts, and a chance to win free entries to the Trail Town Race and Riverfest! Ridgway Adventure Sports is located at 109 N. Lena Street (the former Unicas Building).
For more information see the following websites: http://jillmsommers.com and http://ridgwayadventuresports.com
Please RSVP to Mary Plumb at scaryplumb@mac.com
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TWO EXTREME LIVES
Thursday, June 28th, 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Montrose Library
*~* Chris Tarman *~*
Meet adventure writers Jennifer Pharr Davis and Jane Parnell at the Montrose Regional Library (320 S. 2nd St.) on Thursday, June 28th, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
Jennifer Pharr Davis is a runner, hiker, speaker, and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year who posted a FKT (fastest known time) on the Appalachian Trail. She has run four road marathons and three trail ultras. She first thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2005 as a 21-year-old recent college graduate. That was the kick-start that prompted her to summit Kilimanjaro and thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail, trail routes in South America, Australia, the Long Trail in Vermont, the Colorado Trail, and then to set the record for the Appalachian Trail, for a total of more than 8,500 miles in the U.S. and on six continents. Her latest book is The Pursuit of Endurance: Harnessing the Record Breaking Power of Strength and Resilience.
Jane Parnell took to mountaineering in the Rocky Mountains as a means to overcome her family’s history of mental illness and the trauma of rape. By age thirty she became the first woman to climb the 100 highest peaks of the state. With a failing marriage and unprepared emotionally and financially for singlehood, she kept climbing—the 200 highest peaks and then nearly all of the 300 highest. The mountains were the one anchor in her life that held. Her mountaineering memoir is Off Trail: Finding my Way Home in the Colorado Rockies.
Book signings and refreshments will follow the presentations. For more information click here
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SAVE THE DATES:
The Trail Town 5 & 10 mile races are scheduled for June 30th this year in conjunction with the Ridgway RiverFest. This event takes place in Ridgway, Colorado nestled in a valley surrounded by the majestic San Juan Mountains. The race features stunning views of mountain peaks and velvety green pastures. The course is on a runner-friendly gravel road and gently climbs to the east towards the foot of the Cimarron Range. The gentle downhill is the reward heading to the finish. Post-race awards and refreshments await the finishers. Online as well as day-of-event registration will be available. To register online click here
Mt Sneffels Marathon/Half Marathon in Ouray is a destination race vacation! The Marathon & Half Marathon is one of the most scenic runs in America. Run point to point downhill on a dirt road along the Uncompahgre River. This race is for all…serious competitors & fun runners. There are great race amenities and finish line activities. Come enjoy the beauty of Ouray this August 11th, 2018! For more information or to register online click here
The third annual Log Hill Hustle is on August 26, 2018. This 5K/10K fun run/walk begins at Log Hill Fire Station #2 on Ponderosa Drive in Ridgway. The 5K and 10K routes wind through beautiful Fairway Pines and Log Hill Village, offering breathtaking views of the San Juan Mountains and the Cimarron range. Both races end at the mailbox kiosks on Ponderosa Drive. The course features multiple water stations, volunteer support, clearly marked turns, fully paved roads, course monitors and gently rolling hills (440’ gain + 400’ loss). The course is designed to satisfy both competitive and recreational runners. Runners, walkers, and strollers welcome! Please NO dogs or bikes. This event is sanctioned through USA Track & Field. For more information or to register online click here
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For those of you who use Facebook there are several pages to find information on upcoming races and club news:
Montrose & Delta Runners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/191387481046485/
Trail Town 5 & 10: https://www.facebook.com/events/337984243345478/
San Juan Mountain Runners: https://www.facebook.com/San-Juan-Mountain-Runners-301751839944392/
FUN RUNS: We meet every Saturday morning all year ’round at Looney Bean in Montrose (3480 Wolverine Dr – near JCPenney and Target). We are currently meeting at 7:30 AM (this changes seasonally). All abilities, all ages, walkers, joggers, runners all welcome.
Run often, run long, but never outrun your joy of running ~ Julie Isphording