See I had these HUGE aspirations of running myself right into the top (or at least top ten) of the still fresh and new field of ultra running at the Cayuga 50 Mile National Championships in Ithaca, NY...I was going to go top ten, get a sweet contract, quit my day job, and spend the rest of my career running mountains, visiting diabetes camps and driving my wife nuts- I did mention I am an Ultra-runner right? DO half the people reading this even though there are some folks who run as their only "day job" and primary income (even less than I originally thought)?
Anyways, I finished 22nd at the race- which, can I say 22nd in a lot of "National" competitions in many sport would get you some serious dough in other sports! Once again, Ultra-running-on trails; in the forest (and no, nobody or nothing is chasing you or making you do this)- I digress...But I can say that this was one of the best weekends of my life (with an incredible crew person and great friend Matt Sheaff) and a host of other trail buddies along the way-
So realizing (and being completely ok) with the fact that I was not quitting my job or getting a shiny "shoe deal", I had to recover for part two of the summer, this little thing called getting Married!
The rest of the summer included said wedding stuff, pacing Brian Rusieki in what I believe was one of the greatest performances in all athletics, 2015 (winning and breaking the course record at the VT100)! and running with some awesome friends, including my constant training partner and older bro Chad Denning.
Chad was played so many roles in our wonderful friendship, far shorter than I can even believe. He was a mentor, a friend, an older brother, a fan. I can go on and on, but perhaps I will save that for another post. The point I want to make here is that Chad was many things to many people, but one of his greatest attributes was that his veins flowed with Hope and Adventures of recreation, whether with friends, in his job or with his beloved family. Lets stop and think about it for a second and break this down- when we recreate, we are in fact RE-Creating- something, an experience, ourselves. Chad was a man who believed and lived out one of the greatest mysteries of Life. That we must be renewed daily. Restored. Rehabilitated. Whatever it may be.
Just a day after one of the greatest days of my life, I shared with my new wife one of my worst. Yet as we walked, and cried, and cursed, and laughed, and cried some more; on September 7th, 2014, I looked to the mountains and to the sky, and realized, Chad's life and Love will live on- Ever creating, ever believing, ever re-charging.
As I write this, I feel a certain sense of freedom, in that the fears I have and used to share with Chad pale in comparison with a life lived with passion and purpose, full of adventure and creating things for yourself and others. As I write this, I can't help but immerse myself into the song posted below- To keep believing in the good things of this life- to keep running, as I was meant to, as YOU were meant to- Free.
"Father’s hands work the ground
Turns the soil, lays it down
Everything done and said
Lives beyond the quick and the dead
Heritage passed along
To the sons like a blessed song
So raise your voices on high tonight
We came a long, long way back home
To see you one more time
‘Cause we came a long, long way back home
To see you and say Goodbye"- Josh Garrels
Josh Garrels- "A Long Way"
I guess I never really answered the question as to what this blog should be about- and I still don't think I have an answer- but I Hope you'll join me as I continue to explore Life, Love, Spirituality, the Run... and the subsequent Return that always comes after.
Happy Spring...May you Run Free!
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