Random thoughts…
July 1, 2007 in Marathons, Run, marathon, marathon training, running
Digg! this story.
by Keith Granger
I spent some time thinking about my life this past week. I think I’m approaching an age where you start to do that more, but I’ve always been the type who needs time to reflect anyway and sometimes struggle a bit in this fast paced world that we live in because it’s hard to find that time. I’ve had a cold for the past 10 days, which has forced me to slow a bit and also narrowed my scope enough to allow a moment to see things more clearly. Sometimes a good head cold is what you need to provide vision that’s just fuzzy enough to force you to look inward instead of outward in the search for clarity.
It seems so difficult to get through everything that we need to get done in a day - kids, careers, and hobbies… I wonder why we create the stresses we do in our lives. We’re certainly not facing the types of problems that much of the world faces. I know we’ll eat when it’s time to eat and I know we’ll have a safe place to sleep when it’s time to sleep. But, still… It gets overwhelming at times. My buddy Joe keeps telling me that bike fit is a matter of millimeters. I think my life is that way too. And, akin to my sloppy bike fitting skills, I think I tend to overcorrect as I travel on the path of my life. When my saddle felt too high, I wanted to lower it an inch – Joe dropped it 2 mm and it felt perfect. A millimeter can make a huge difference – bike fit, career, and family alike…
I think my life is perfect in most areas and maybe just a millimeter or so off in others. The key, for me, may be to fight the urge to overcorrect and instead just make the minor adjustments to keep things working. And then, sometimes, maybe it’s just okay to be a millimeter off…
Some happy thoughts from my week…
- I like running shirtless through the park on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
- I like the “grunge and 90’s alternative” radio station.
- I’ve noticed that my heroes put their family first, whether they’re cyclists, politicians, or wastewater engineers.
- My 7-year-old son wants to grow his hair long.
- My 5-year-old daughter wants to be a runner.
- I own a bicycle that is worth more than my first car (significantly more).
- My wife bought me a coffee cup this week with a picture of a dog chasing a butterfly (she also bought me the bike that’s worth more than a car).
- Recycling is easier than most people think.
- Cleaning up as you go makes it a lot easier at the end of the day.
- You can always put the training wheels back on.
9 comments
July 2, 2007 at 6:33 am
Pingback from Fitness Over Forty » Lost Weekend
July 1, 2007 at 11:30 pm
riddenwords
Wow. Excellent post. For me, instead of over correcting, I’m generally afraid to change on the off chance it’s the wrong thing or worse.
Your happy thoughts made me smile. You do have a good life if you can make a list like that.
And Family first is always a winner. Always.
July 1, 2007 at 11:38 pm
Brad Hefta-Gaub
Keith! This is awesome!
I admit, I’m not yet planning on running shirtless anywhere… but other than that, I agree with everything you say here.
I agree with you about my heroes putting their families first. I think I got that value from my Mom and Dad. I hope I do that… and I hope I honor what my family taught me.
Today my daughters and I sat on the Burke Gilman trail with a Lemonade stand. My oldest REALLY REALLY wanted to do a lemonade stand. I was itching to get out there and ride or run with all the other people on the trail, but I also loved hanging out with my daughters and watching them be so alive (and grown up) as they greeted and served their customers.
Anyway, thanks for sharing!
July 2, 2007 at 6:13 am
Fitness Over Forty
Well said Keith.
Our family is going camping this week, and my daughter is so excited. I, on the other hand, tend to take life much too seriously. And I know I over-correct when a millemeter or two would do just fine.
Phil
July 2, 2007 at 11:07 am
gardenmentor
Really, what a wonderful set of ponderings!
I, too, find myself trying to over-control & over-compensate for things that really will just take care of themselves or need only a minor adjustment. Once a life-guide taught me that by spending so much time getting hung up “just getting through the day”, by trying to adjust everything all the time to create perfection, hustling through daily “chores” to get to the next thing, and trying to control things out of my control, I was missing out on the important parts of my life — like realizing one of my favorite parts of the day is walking the dog with my husband. Before I looked at our evening walks as “one more chore” in a long list of things “I had to get done” like paying bills, washing dishes, and so forth. Now I try to remember to see things from various perspectives & glean the positive out of each thing I do. I lead a blessed life. I live better than most of the rest of the world. I have my health, food, shelter, and love — the best things life can offer.
Thank you for reminding me of these important lessons!
July 3, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Joe
Wow!……wow
July 4, 2007 at 8:03 am
karlmccracken
Great post - thank you!
Sometimes a little down time goes long way - most of us seldom stop to think about how lucky we are, and how much choice we have about what we do & when we do it.
July 8, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Lisa Sabin
It seems I am the one who is a millimeter off! I am struggling to keep my body in balance, and my life. I had a bike fit from ProFormance Rehab last week. It turns out that the bike is perfect for me. I need to improve my cycling technique so that I’m using my hamstrings and glutes more effectively.
Thanks for sharing about your family. I’ve got a 16 year old son who’s hair was longer than mine. He just cut it! My 13 year old daughter runs occasionally, and is becoming my swimming partner.
March 29, 2008 at 11:58 am
steve lutz
Good stuff Keith! I’m almost back in shape, so let’s go for a run. I lost January and most of February with the flu and a sinus infection….so I’m clawing my way back, carrying extra weight and rebuilding cardio capacity. No 6:00/mile repeats for me yet, but maybe in a month or so.
I’m going to train for the Chicago Marathon (October) again through the summer. It would be great to have some company on the long runs. See you on the trail!
Steve