Life Changing

Sunday, July 24, 2016 · Mike Davis

Good morning! Grab your coffee and pull up a stool. This morning I am nearly 900 miles away from the start line for the York Days 5K and that is a bit disappointing. Hopefully next year it will work in my schedule. Have fun if you are running! I was chatting with a woman the other day who commented that I looked like I was in pretty good shape and that she could not believe I was in my 50s! Both were very comments were nice to hear though I do not actually feel like I am in all that great a shape at this point. I explained to her that I am cognizant of my weight, and that combined with running helps me a great deal. She quickly told me that she “hates running” because, “it’s so hard.” I told her that I hear that a lot from non-runners and that if approached properly, running can not only be enjoyable but, “life changing.” I had her attention. “Life changing” is a pretty dramatic marketing pitch and one used more often than it should be for trying to sell something. However when it comes to running, those of us that took it up will all attest that this often challenging activity changed our lives like nothing else. Whatever the reason each of us took it up, when we stuck with it, we found benefits that became part of our DNA. In many cases those few pounds we shed was exactly what we were looking for then other things happened… I remember when I got through that first couple of months of my first regular running program and I was not breathing as hard. When running solo I was no longer thinking about my breathing and began thinking about things going on in my life. My thoughts would often move to some idea that would come to me and then I would pretty much spend the rest of the run working through that idea. Soon I would start saving my ideas and problems for my solo runs and utilize that uninterrupted time for thinking out things. I found out from other runners that this was not some newfound concept on my part but that it was common amongst other runners. Today I am struggling with my running because of an injury and adapting to the North Carolina climate but, I still find a way to enjoy the opportunity that time affords my thoughts. I told this woman how I found that when I focused on everything but running, my running became quite important. Something happened many years ago that both my wife and I will attest to; we found a whole new community. My wife was saw an ad or something for a “beginner half marathon training group” through New Hampshire’s only running store (Runners Alley). She asked if I thought of trying to train with this group for a 13.1 mile run. Oh my gosh, are you kidding me I was all I could think! My longest run had been a 10K and that had been pretty darn challenging, so the idea of more than doubling that seemed crazy. We agreed that we would try the group and even if we didn’t get to 13.1, we would get something out of it. That first night we met at Runners Alley we were joined by many others that had the same doubts we did and our lives were instantly bonded. Two days a week we met for group runs and while we grouped ourselves during runs by those that were running similar paces but, we also all became friends. Life becomes challenging after our 20s, with work, children, marriage and other commitments and often time outside of work is devoid of friendships and focused around our homes. Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings Kathy and I were now enjoying new friendships and in a whole different way. Yes we might spend some time commiserating of those early Saturday morning runs but eventually the conversations would turn to anything but running. These friendships played a critical role in getting us to our 13.1 goal. We no longer focused on what we were doing but instead we got lost in the enjoyment of the group. After this group completed the half marathon, we continued our friendships and we also found other running groups to be a part of. Today we enjoy many really great friends as well as a running community that is also universal. “No Finish Line Running New Hampshire” has grown and our groups have become very special. We will be finishing up a group next weekend and then we will be starting a training group up August 6th to train for the “White Mountain Milers Half Marathon”. This training group is an awesome and unique opportunity. The race is up in North Conway and offers 2 distances. You can run as a relay team of 2 or run the entire 13.1 miles. NFLR’s training group is going to help you train for either distance. The training will be a lot of fun and then we will go spend the night in North Conway and wake up and run the best event in the Northeast! Be a part of this great community! “Life changing.” Today I can do most anything and much of that confidence comes from my running. I have certainly experienced the highs and lows that come with running. However I have accepted that I must adapt as my body and aging process dictates. Despite running a much slower pace or battling to run a certain distance, I still find that running is needed in my life. Not only mentally and physically but, also because of the community. There is nothing else that accomplishes so many important aspects of my life and as long as I accept that running is not about a result but instead a lifestyle, I will reap the benefits for many years. Hope you enjoyed your coffee this morning. Have a great day and see you on the road! God Bless! Mike