Sometimes the moments that challenge us the most, define us



Deena Kastor

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Put it on the List

Well the back-to-back long runs have begun. I am a fairly slow runner so my weekends now consist mostly of eating, showering, and running. By the end of December or early January I will have completed a weekend of two 20-milers. There are runners who do this all the time and to them it would be the equivalent of me running two 5-milers. But we all have challenges that are often unique to only our own self. Is that true for most of you?

Lately I've been thinking of creating a "bucket list". For those of you who might not know what this is-it comes from the movie "The Bucket List". Or at least I think that's where it comes from. It is a list of things you want to do or see before you "kick the bucket". The  movie is great to watch-Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman together-an interesting combination.

I thought of this idea while out on a run. In fact, most of what I write in this blog comes to me during a run. So what would you put on your bucket list? I have to admit so far several of the items on my list are physical challenges-except for meeting Tom Hanks....and writing a book. Does a blog count? I can't believe I am going to put rock climbing on it but I know in my heart there is something inside me that says to. I will never, ever, in life-or in death-put touching a snake on my bucket list!

As a runner, I am inspired to try new things and challenge my body to do more. I often think to myself, "well if I can do this then.....". As a person, I am inspired by others to be the best person I can possibly be. There might be some overlap but you can't have one without the other right? Could I or would I run four marathons in four days without the help of other people or without being inspired by someone other than myself? Probably not.

How cool would it be to give this ability to children and teens who are abused-to have goals and achieve them? I know many of them struggle with this for a number of reasons and then often suffer the consequences. We can do this-we all know that a better life is possible-we just have to somehow convince others.

When I ran the Seattle Marathon a few weeks ago I actually felt some of the emotions that I did at the finish line of my first marathon. I think it was because at that moment, in the last minutes before crossing the finish line, I realized that I was probably running with some "first timers". And I also realized that for many people that day, it was the day for them to accomplish a life long dream. Somewhere at some point in their life they decided that someday they were going to run a marathon. And I was there when it happened. What if this was on their "bucket list"?

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it" Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Cheers,

Patty

2 comments:

  1. Patty- I, also, recently began creating my bucket list. I think that is a a good thing to have goals in mind for life. For most people they will say throughout their life," I want to..." but then never accomplish it. I feel that when one has a bucket list they are reminded of the things they want to do and the feeling they get from being able to check something off there list will motivate them to continue on down their list.

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  2. Thank you, I think you have it exactly right-that we need something to remind us of the things we want to do. Sometimes we get lost in the life stuff and end up feeling like something is missing. Good luck-I like hearing positive stories :)

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