Comebacks...

Happy Tuesday to you.  I've been enjoying the past couple of months of running and now have run 38 times since May 26.  Last week I ran about 24 miles, which seemed impossible two months ago.  I guess you could say I am in the midst of another running comeback.  

I don't think there are many things that Americans love more than a comeback story.  How many times do you see a politician or a sports figure or an entertainment professional go down in a blaze of glory only to be celebrated a couple years later for their amazing comeback?  The ability to comeback is part of our cultural fabric and while we often see highly publicized comeback stories of famous people, I think spirit of what a comeback stands for is actually quite important.  We all need a comeback story if we are honest with ourselves.  We all make mistakes.  We all screw up.  We all have days or months or even years we wish we could take back.  Yet, if we don't think we can comeback, then life can get away from us in a hurry.  

Smiling at Indy Mini Marathon in 2009 (IT Band Comeback)

What I love about running is that it's a great teacher of how to orchestrate a comeback.  By my count, this is my 8th running comeback since beginning my love affair with running 20 years ago.  There was the ankle injury of 1997, the marathon debacle of 2002, the 29 year-old quarter life crisis of 2006, the shin splint fiasco of 2007, the IT Band disaster of 2008-09, the ankle injury of 2009, the post baby comeback of 2013, and the post baby part II comeback of 2014.  That is a lot of running comebacks. While all of my running comeback stories have a different initiator, some great (Being a Father) and some not so good (Injuries and Apathy), the common denominators between them all were the feelings I felt when I was sidelined and when I was trying to get back after it.  The hardest part of the comeback in running is taking the first step.  Literally.  The hardest part is lacing up the shoes and running down the street. For me, after six months or longer of not running, I have internal doubts about whether or not I am really a runner and then I think I look quite ridiculous running after months of not lacing up the shoes.  Do the neighbors think I'm weird?  Do the other runners look at me and think "poser"? Yeah, these thoughts definitely creep in my head.  The second hardest part of the comeback is the two to three weeks of trying to build momentum against worthy adversaries like fatigue, soreness, aches, pains, and balancing my schedule.  All of those adversaries line up and taunt me and try to get me to put the shoes back in the closet.  It's true and sometimes they win.  Finally, though, once I get the positive momentum going and the pain dissipates and the fatigue subsides and I get used to a new schedule, then I'm back and better than ever.  The ultimate result of any running comeback for me may not be that I am faster, especially as I get older. Truly, THE ULTIMATE result of my running comebacks is that I come back mentally stronger knowing that I am capable of rebuilding myself as a runner.  I can be a runner for life with that belief.  For...life!

Of course, rebuilding myself as a runner in no way exceeds the importance of my goals of being a great father, husband, and housing professional at IUPUI.  With that said, what a running comeback allows me to do is practice getting back up after disappointment, a mistake, or even a conflict with another person.  We need opportunities in our lives to practice coming back from times when things do not go our way so that when we face disappointment in our work or personal lives we know we can come back. When I think about the times in my personal or professional life that I have made a jerk of myself or made a mistake, the art of coming back from that resembles what coming back in running looks like. First, there is the acknowledgment of the mistake or role in a disagreement (Like taking the first step in running).  Second, there are worth adversaries, like the long road of rebuilding trust or having an apology rejected, that loom over the path to the comeback and try to halt progress.  They attack your pride and patience and try stop your comeback.  It takes a great deal of mental toughness not to go backwards or to stop, much like the aches, pains, and fatigue try to derail running comebacks. Finally, though, after building momentum and getting back on the right path you wake up one day and your back, often stronger and better than ever.  And...that is so very important and key to our ability to move our lives forward.  Mistakes happen.  Life gets off track. However, it's not the mistakes or getting off track that define us as long as we are strong enough to pursue a comeback.  Running has taught me this lesson time and time again and I use that lesson in my life each day.  I have no idea how long this current comeback will last.  I hope it lasts until I am 105 (My last year on earth, which will be in 2081 for those following at home).  However, what I am sure of is that regardless of how long this current comeback lasts, I am more than capable of getting back on track should I stop running for a short time regardless of the reason.  This gives me peace and also gives me confidence that I can comeback in other areas of life as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  I always appreciate it when people read what I have to say.  I get a little nervous putting my thoughts out there because is makes me vulnerable (Brene' Brown would be proud--that's a whole other future blog post), but I figure if my thoughts resonate at all with others then it is worth it.  Have a great week.

Hills Make You Stronger!

Good Morning!  Hope that you are doing well and enjoying life.  I've had the good fortune to run in a couple different places over the past two weeks (Washington DC and Couer d'Alene, Idaho) and the theme that has emerged has been hills--both the hills I run and the hills of life.  Hope that you enjoy.

Hills.  For runners, they pop up at the most inopportune times--usually when we are extraordinarily fatigued--and they try to break us.  In life, hills pop up both expectedly and unexpectedly and they try to block our path and crush our resolve.  Whether you are running or going through your daily life, it is how you respond to the hills that will ultimately define you.  

Tubbs Hill in Couer d'Alene, ID

I've had the opportunity to run quite a few hills over the past two weeks.  In Washington, DC the area I was staying was filled with them. Probably, my favorite set of hills in DC were located in the zoo that was nearby my hotel.  I was able to run up and down the hills and see (and talk) to the animals.  Yes, of course, you know I was saying hello to the elephants, giraffes, and whatever other animals were out and about. This week I have had the opportunity to run (and jump off the cliffs into the water) Tubbs Hills in Coeur d'Alene (see photo). It's a very quick 2500 foot ascent to the top and the views of the lake and foothills are spectacular.  In both cities being willing to climb the hills have brought rewards (Animals and Views) that would not have been there had I not been willing to run them.  Probably, though, the most meaningful hill I have climbed running over the past two weeks is the one small hill on the route in Broadripple that I run with Liya (not many hills in Indianapolis).  As we run that hill I ask Liya, "what do hills make us?"  She is too young to reply and I say to her, "hills make us stronger and we always attack them."  On the down side of the hill I say, "we climb the hills because on the other side is reward."  The message is clear.  Our family attacks the hills.

Life throws a ton of hills our way and often times they seem unconquerable.  The mistake that many make is that they believe they have to conquer the hill all at once.  However, that simply is not true. When you run the way to attack a hill is in short, measured steps while at the same time monitoring your breathing and cutting the pace when your breath leaves you.  You cannot attack a hill with your regular pace or stride.  It simply won't work and you have to make the adjustments.  You attack a hill one step at a time, one section at a time, and before you know it you've won.  However, if you just look at the top and wonder if you can get there, you may not even try.  I've found the same is true in life. When I am presented with a hill, I sometimes get overwhelmed and go down the path of "I can't." However, once I start looking at the problem and develop a step by step approach, then before I know it the problem is solved.  The hill is climbed.

There are a ton of lessons I will need to teach Liya throughout her life and conquering the hills ranks right up there in terms of importance.  Of course, I've started talking to her about attacking hills on our runs, but we've (Sarah and I) already have put that into practice in her daily life.  I recall the first time Liya had an "accident report" at her school and the teacher called me to come over (my office is across the street).  Liya was maybe 6 months old and was trying to crawl (climbing hills already) and she fell on her face and banged up her lip.  Of course, I was a bit nervous on my walk over and was feeling a range of emotion.  No one wants their kid to be hurt.  I walk into the room and say hello to the teachers (who are wonderful by the way).  I went over to Liya and saw her lip was a bit swollen. Internally, my heart was hurting for her and I wanted to swoop her up and save the day.  Instead,  I smiled at her, patted her on the back and said something along the lines of "good job kid."  And I meant it.  I was proud of her.  She tried to crawl and fell down and I'm sure it hurt, but she got back up.  Again, the message was clear.  We attack those hills. 

Have a great day and thank you for taking time to read my thoughts.  Hope that you go find a couple hills to run this weekend.