Back in ancient times when I was a young runner, I often had
the opportunity to run with other athletes some of whom took their competitive
running very seriously. While I enjoyed
the competitive aspect of the runs, it was really the camaraderie that I
enjoyed the most. Working out with
other runners made the time fly by and often we would talk through issues of
work, life and family. No matter how good you are, everyone has good
days and bad and often the difference between the two is just having someone alongside
helping you along.
Fast forward to the last decade or so and I run alone pretty
much all the time. Work schedules made
it hard to find a convenient time to schedule regular runs and moving separated
me from the few close running friends I occasionally would catch for a weekend run. While I don’t mind running alone,
especially when I’m trying to work through particularly gnarly problems or
trying to come to grips with issues like grief,
there is no question that 2+ hours in your own head can get pretty old (unless
you are particularly narcissistic).
This weekend I had the pleasure of spending time with my
sister and brother and their families.
There’s nothing like family to remind you what is important in life (and
to let you know when you are screwing up).
But what I love most about my
family is their willingness to give of themselves to help others.
I had a longish run
scheduled for Sunday morning that I dreading.
I’ve been nursing an injury for several months and as a result, every run
starts with the question “how far will I get before the leg gives out”. Some
days I make it, some days I don’t. Despite
the distance I had planned, my sister, a triathlete, offered to keep me company
on the run. We chatted non-stop over
the entire run, catching up on family issues, reminiscing and just plain joking
around. I had forgotten what it was like to have a
running partner to help make the miles fly by and take your mind off injuries. There was nothing particularly memorable
about the distance and certainly not the speed but this will go down as one of
my most memorable runs; sharing some really special quality time with my sister
who gave up her Sunday morning sleep to help her brother through a tough spot.
It reminded me why I’m running Boston again this year and
why we started Help in the Nick of Time.
It’s pretty amazing what small gestures can do to help someone when they
really need a kind word, an offer to share their load, or just a sympathetic
ear. And while this blog gives me an opportunity
to moan about getting old and complain about the cold and injuries, what it
really is all about is finding a way to inject a little bit of hope into the
lives of others, just when they need it.
We all need help now and then and today was a good reminder for me to
remember to look for opportunities to Pay it Forward.
Till next time….
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