RUN LONG and LIVESTRONG

Today, we again awoke to a bit of rain.  It just kind of acted all morning like it didn't know what kind of day it wanted to be.  It would start to rain for a few minutes, then stop for a few minutes.  Mother Nature was having a hard time making a decision.  As a result, so was I.  Do I run outside and take the chance that it isn't going to rain too hard?  I don't mind a little rain, kind of enjoy it actually.  I just don't like being soaking wet (like Wednesdays bike ride).  Or do I stay inside and run on the treadmill?  There's not many things that I find more boring than running on the treadmill.  I can do it if that's my only option, but would rather not.

I layered up and headed outside.  Being fairly new to running in general, I certainly know nothing about running in cooler weather.  Before completing the first mile it became uncomfortably clear that I had overdressed.  Luckily, I run with a belt that holds my water bottle, ipod, etc.  I was able to remove my long sleeve shirt and gloves and tuck them in the belt.  Life was good again.  Except for the fact that I was still running.

There are some advantages and disadvantages to living across the street from the new high school in Herriman.  For example, the kids aren't going to need rides or cars to drive to school, advantage.  Austin and his teenage friends will probably be stopping by after school to raid the fridge and pantry, disadvantage.  Today, I found another disadvantage.  At the end of my run, the last mile and a half or so are near the school.  My run was concluding at the time that school was getting out for the day.  This resulted in a long, steady line of cars leaving the school and coming down the road.  Any thoughts I might have had of walking for a few minutes were now gone.  These were kids without their mothers in the car with them.  Who was going to tell them to stop honking horns and teasing the struggling fat man?  Certainly not their friends in the car that were doing the same thing.  I would have to finish my run strong.  No coasting in to home today.  That's what I get for not running in the dark.  So thank you Herriman High students, for forcing me to finish strong.  You unknowingly helped me to Win The Day.  And to those of you that still honked, enjoy the calories.  I threw 1580 calories into your cars while you were waving your arms and honking your horns.  Wait until the girls see you in school Monday with all those extra calories.

What kind of effort did it take to lose those calories? 9.1 miles of effort.  Not only did I lose the calories, I heard a new voice.  "This is Lance Armstrong. Congratulations on completing your longest run so far."

Tonight I went to the football game at the high school with Austin.  Herriman had a home game with Copper Hills.  This was the first home game of the season that I didn't have to work.  This was also the first home win in Herriman's history (first year school).  Maybe next year the school should work something out with Smith's to make sure I am able to be to all home games.  Herriman won the game 12-7.

The Copper Hills team was wearing pink wraps around their ankles and shoes.  Their fans were also wearing pink shirts.  It was announced that one of their players had just lost his mother to breast cancer and this was their way of showing him their support.  Austin was asking me about cancer and I made the comment that "it is what your father will probably die from."  I hate cancer.  I fear it.

After making that comment to him, I spent the next little bit thinking about life and death.  What will come of what I am doing today or tomorrow?  What will come of my whole life?  Massively deep questions.  So why do you do what you do?  Is it all really worth it?  Death may be inevitable, but there’s a lot of benefit to taking into consideration some of the elements of your life that will outlive you.

1. Your children: Our kids represent a kind of immortality - or at least an extension of ourselves where not only our DNA, but preferences, priorities and personality traits make for a kind of continuity.
2. Your relationships: That’s relationships across the board, by the way; the good, the bad and the ugly. We have this powerful opportunity to remain vested in the lives we have touched long after we’re gone.
3. Your values: Our values don’t disappear the moment we die – there’s a latency, a cumulative effect that takes years to dissipate. In fact, if our values were clear enough that they took root in others, the effect will never go away.
4. Your financial decisions: Will a lifetime of generosity leave a legacy of hope? Was I careful with my resources?
5. Your debts: Here’s a difficult truth: if we die overextended, and up to our eyeballs in debt, then someone’s going to pay and that someone will likely be our spouse or our kids.
6. Your investments: There are countless opportunities for us to invest. Invest in other people, churches, business, education. They all need investments of time, personal interest, hard work and vision. And most of these will outlive us. Thinking about the long term, rather than short-term gratification, will allow our investments to pay off long after we’re gone.
7. The way you have loved: Love is more durable than gold, and it’s certainly a better policy against an uncertain future than the stock market. The manner in which we love our spouse, family, friends, and community, may well be the most enduring legacy we will have.
8. Your enemies: The whole “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” loses traction after you die. Wouldn’t it be great to pass away knowing you didn’t have any enemies?
9. Your God – or gods: We all have a god. Gods are, by definition, the focus of our primary allegiance. Power, money, ourselves, family, … or the Creator of the Universe? Our choice of god(s) will survive our death.

Just some thoughts I had.  More reasons to try and win every day.  I hope you all have a great weekend!