I am 4th!

Sunday, April 12, 2015 · Mike Davis

Good morning! Today is the beginning of a stretch of beautiful weather that may officially put winter behind us. Our ‘No Finish Line Running” winter training group will be running “Reds Shoe Barn” 5 miler this morning and I could not be more pleased for this group. All winter long this group of people ran outside with only a few exceptions and braved some of the worst conditions and today that get to cap of this with near perfect conditions. I enjoyed this friendly and disciplined group of runners so very much and they truly helped me get through a pretty miserable winter. Tuesday night runs were difficult to get motivated for, but once on the road the enjoyment was immense and after the time having a drink or dinner at “7th Settlement Brewery” was the best! I really looked forward Tuesday nights not necessarily for the running, but for a chance to see friends and share some warm camaraderie during a very cold winter. Today it will be a lot of fun to get a picture of our group together and then watch these “friends” go out and kill a course that we have run all winter! Life has so much busyness in it and I could list off all that will be keeping me pretty busy this next few months, but despite the busyness life for me is about relationships. I try to maintain a hierarchy or some type of priority list when it comes to relationship that will insure my life has the balance that I feel is paramount. My hierarchy begins with God, then wife, followed by family, then my friendships and then Mike. I can’t honestly say that I am as good at keeping the priorities in the correct this correct order but I for me it is important to have a clear hierarchy to help me maintain “A Purpose Driven Life.” Some may be aware of a “Purpose Driven Life,” it was a wonderful book written by Rick Warren a few years ago and it is a faith based book that certainly espouses the virtues of a faith based life, and ties it in with a “purpose.” A great book that I recommend, but I am not so much focusing this particular chat on that exact subject. Getting back to my list and the priorities you can see that friendships are listed above even me. Definitely might not be clinically correct as many would tell me that we must take care of ourselves before we can be of any good to others but this chat also isn’t trying to delve into philosophical ideals either. For me having God at the top of my priority list a no brainer, he is my creator, after that my wife is my best friend, life partner and easily fits below God, family is an third and then comes friends. Yes it might sound like I am coming across like I have some great humbleness because I put friends ahead of me, but that is not the case whatsoever. Why friends come before me is probably more selfish than humble because for me friendship truly feeds my soul. Okay now I am getting over the top I know, but my “purpose driven life” is most definitely fulfilled by my relationship and the completeness I feel from meaningful friendships is important toward healthiness. Retired football player Gail Sayers wrote a wonderful book many, many years ago entitled: “I Am Third” and his top 2 were in line with me, but I guess my book would be entitled “I Am Fourth.” So if you are still with me after that lengthy inner look at my purpose, let me bring you to where I want to go. Running is a wonderful activity that provides physical and mental benefits that are like none others, but the benefit of being part of a really wonderful running community is something very special. Anyone reading this probably knows what I am speaking of because you have been part of a running group or out on the road with a running partner. In both cases you I am sure you enjoyed the benefits of the running but most likely you enjoyed to social part of the run even more so. I enjoy the solitude of a run by myself when I can get lost in my thoughts and I often come up with my best ideas during a long run by myself. However there are numerous times I am running with one of our NFLR groups that I enjoy the conversation with one of the runners and it is easy to pass mile after mile during those conversations. Then you have opportunities like we had with our winter running group where we start at a pub and more importantly finish at the pub, which then was followed by dinner typically. It is said that runners talk about everything but running during a run, but when together any other time all they talk about is running! Probably some truth to that, but as the friendships grow those conversations turn to many other subjects that grows the friendship. For me running has most definitely brought many wonderful people into my life and many have become “awesome” friends. Those friends are now important to me and have really supported NFLR in many ways that make me feel so blessed. Life tends to challenge friendships because of the business but running provides a conduit for friendship that often extends outside of the running shoes. Team NFLR just finished “Reds Race for A Better Community” and I was extremely proud of all our runners. More than anything else I was thrilled to have my wife there to run and be amongst a group of people that are wonderful friends. We all wanted to do well and I believe everyone did, but more importantly we all supported each other right to the end. Going through the winter together was a great experience and while some didn’t always make it, we all bonded and truly cared about each other. Now NFLR starts another training group that will kick off this Wednesday at the 7th Settlement Brewery and I have no doubt we will seem some of the same people and also some new faces. I am super excited about this next group and the opportunity to build our running community. Hope to see some of you. Have a great Sunday! God Bless! Mike