There are not many places I have run that are more beautiful than along the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. With its scenic views and runner friendly paths it makes you feel free even in one of Canada's biggest cities. Add in the fact that it is a world heritage site and the only cooler feeling you can get is to skate on the Canal itself. If you can get over the horrible smell of months old sewage and what I can only hope is algae, then the Canal can be an interesting and refreshing place to run.
One spring day, a year and a half ago, my girlfriend, Kelsey, and I decided to throw off the shackels of a long and arduous Ottawa winter by running along the Canal and enjoying one of the nicest days of the year. We set a goal and started out at a quick pace.
About ten minutes into our run I spotted movement on the other side of the Canal and suddenly a baby deer wondered out of a group of trees. I pointed it out to Kelsey and we stopped to watch it. We stood there panting and sweating and admiring the deer who was staring (I like to think admiring as well) at us. For me, somewhat of a city boy all my life, seeing a deer so close in the middle of a city was pretty amazing and just one more thing that added to the magic of the Canal.
Now I've run many routes in many cities in my life, but this run sticks out because I stopped to watch the deer and because Kelsey was there to watch it with me.
I think life works a lot like that one run as well.
In this day and age, probably more than any other (although I can't vouch for this cause I've only been alive for 20 years) ambition and action are prized over almost everything. People work more than ever before. From the day we are born we are bombarded with strategies and programs that are supposed to make us smarter or stronger. The rush for the top starts early and never seems to stop (although when I beat the last level of Space Invaders at the age of nine I thought I had finally arrived on top).
Now there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be the best there is at anything (except a Senators fan) and doing anything you can (legally) to achieve it. However, i think there is a problem with letting this ambition blind you from seeing other valuable things in life.
If on that run that day on the Canal I had not stopped to watch the deer because doing so would have disrupted my training schedule then I probably would have not very much of a memory of that run. If Kelsey wasn't there with me as well then I would never have remembered it at all. The run would have been lost amongst all my other training runs.
Similarly, in life we can chose focus soley on getting that new promotion at work or getting straight A's in school or becoming the hot dog eating champion of the world and disregard some of the smaller, but beautiful things life has to offer. Achieving your goals takes sacrifice, but once you reach the top it also doesn't feel very good if you can't remember the jouney or didn't participate in any fun school events or didn't really savour the taste of a good hot dog.
So on your way to becoming the greatest (which you will be) stop and look a round once in a while and discover the little, but immensely beautiful, things around you, like the rising sun, the singing bird or the calm lake. And also look at who you're sharing these things with, your friends, family, significant other or colleagues, because they make it a million times more special. And if you ever cross paths with a deer, always stop to watch it.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Dabbling in Ecclesiastes
It was a typical cross country race day in my high school career one October afternoon. It was overcast and wet and everyone was trying to fight off the slight wintery chill that seemed to have come a bit early. The race was a tune up for our provincial qualifiers in a couple weeks, so everyone was trying to size up the competition from other schools.
My race ran as it usually did. I came in the top half of the field and our top runners seemed to have gotten off to a good start. But when I crossed the finish line and wondered over to the water table a team mate told me something that flipped this ordinary race on its head.
My teammate told me how our best runner hadn't even placed in the top eight or nine (which doesn't sound bad, but it was a big surprise when your top runner has continually placed first or second in every race the last two and a half years). What's more was the lead pack finished about 10 minutes ahead of anyone else! A huge gap in a seven km race.
I thought that was a little suspicious and later I found out that the top eight runners had been disqualified for skipping a whole portion of the race course. I'm pretty sure it was by accident though (there weren't a whole lot of sign markers or marshalls).
Years later I was reading AJ Jacobs' book The Know It All and came across this quote from the Biblical book Ecclesiastes that Jacobs finds interesting, "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong...nor favour to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all"
This paragraph, after I thought about it a bit, reminded me of that race back in high school. The swiftest runner in the race was not the winner and favour was not with the runners with the most skill. Instead, through an unfortunate and lucky set of events these other runners were the winners. At least until they had been found out.
The quote from Ecclesiastes doesn't only fit the literal meaning of the words though. I think what the author was pointing out was that in life even though you may try as hard as you can and be the best at something, not everything is always going to go your way cause things happen that are out of your control.
Jacobs concludes, and I agree, that this quote means we should accept that these things happen and enjoy the goods things in life instead of dwelling on the bad.
On the same track, this quote is saying, it's not what happens in life, but how you deal with it.
Our top runner could have let the frustration and feelings of being cheated get to him in the next race, but he did not and won the provincial qualifiers two weeks later on the same course.
It's like in life. When you get sick and can't go out or complete your work you can sulk and get sicker or you can eat chicken soup, get lots of rest and get better. When you get a harder teacher than everyone else you can complain about it or work extra hard and get those good grades. When you happen to see a movie where Paris Hilton is the main character you can denounce films forever or keep your faith and rent another one.
In the end things are not always going to go as planned because humans can not control everything, so work hard and enjoy the things that are given to you, like that beautiful sunset, those amazing family and friends or those 10 minutes you have before work to run. Maybe one day you'll cross that finish line in first.
My race ran as it usually did. I came in the top half of the field and our top runners seemed to have gotten off to a good start. But when I crossed the finish line and wondered over to the water table a team mate told me something that flipped this ordinary race on its head.
My teammate told me how our best runner hadn't even placed in the top eight or nine (which doesn't sound bad, but it was a big surprise when your top runner has continually placed first or second in every race the last two and a half years). What's more was the lead pack finished about 10 minutes ahead of anyone else! A huge gap in a seven km race.
I thought that was a little suspicious and later I found out that the top eight runners had been disqualified for skipping a whole portion of the race course. I'm pretty sure it was by accident though (there weren't a whole lot of sign markers or marshalls).
Years later I was reading AJ Jacobs' book The Know It All and came across this quote from the Biblical book Ecclesiastes that Jacobs finds interesting, "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong...nor favour to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all"
This paragraph, after I thought about it a bit, reminded me of that race back in high school. The swiftest runner in the race was not the winner and favour was not with the runners with the most skill. Instead, through an unfortunate and lucky set of events these other runners were the winners. At least until they had been found out.
The quote from Ecclesiastes doesn't only fit the literal meaning of the words though. I think what the author was pointing out was that in life even though you may try as hard as you can and be the best at something, not everything is always going to go your way cause things happen that are out of your control.
Jacobs concludes, and I agree, that this quote means we should accept that these things happen and enjoy the goods things in life instead of dwelling on the bad.
On the same track, this quote is saying, it's not what happens in life, but how you deal with it.
Our top runner could have let the frustration and feelings of being cheated get to him in the next race, but he did not and won the provincial qualifiers two weeks later on the same course.
It's like in life. When you get sick and can't go out or complete your work you can sulk and get sicker or you can eat chicken soup, get lots of rest and get better. When you get a harder teacher than everyone else you can complain about it or work extra hard and get those good grades. When you happen to see a movie where Paris Hilton is the main character you can denounce films forever or keep your faith and rent another one.
In the end things are not always going to go as planned because humans can not control everything, so work hard and enjoy the things that are given to you, like that beautiful sunset, those amazing family and friends or those 10 minutes you have before work to run. Maybe one day you'll cross that finish line in first.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Legs Feed The Wolf
"Push it! The legs feed the wolf!"
I can hear my dad yelling at me as I come around the last corner before I reach my house, the finish line of my run. Running a few paces behind me, he's yelling at me to give it all I got in the last hundred metres or so. I start sprinting full out and upon reaching my driveway crumple to the grass.
This isn't the first time I've heard the ol "the legs feed the wolf" encouragment from my dad, and it probably won't be the last. I like it, mainly because in my run-addled brain I envision wolves are chasing me to the end of my route, hungry wolves who have a particular taste for Canadian teenagers. In reality it's only my dad who I have to fend off in the last stretch, no easy feat considering he's a 4-time marathoner.
I first heard the saying back when I watched the movie Miracle and Herb Brooks barked it out to his team. I have a feeling my dad was well aquainted with the phrase, having put in a good several decades under similarily wise, and gruff, hockey coaches, and he has become fairly fond of using it to motivate me and my siblings while running.
Although my brain may not use the saying as it is meant to be used I think it is tremendously relevent and even, dare I say, inspiring.
What I get from "The legs feed the wolf" is just that, for wolves to eat they must be able to catch their food, and to catch their food they need scary-fast legs.
Although I'm not as fury as a wolf and I don't generally chase down deer and moose for dinner, I think this saying can be translated into life really well. When you have a passion or a goal, like writing a book, learning how to speak French or annoying your friends and family, you have to do more than just think about it, you have to take action. You have to start writing short stories or character sketches. You have to take French lessons and maybe travel to Quebec and practice. You have to buy a vuvuzeula and play it continuously in your backyard. The point is, planning and thinking is important to achieving any goal, but to actually get it done you have to really want it and then act on that desire.
But no wolf is born the fastest hunter in the pack, they must practice and develop their legs, just as runners must train and push themselves to pass that competitor in front of them in the last seconds of a race or to beat their personal best time. Nothing comes easy, but practice goes a long way to achieving your goals.
So next time you want to get something done or are just hungry just remember, the legs feed the wolf.
I can hear my dad yelling at me as I come around the last corner before I reach my house, the finish line of my run. Running a few paces behind me, he's yelling at me to give it all I got in the last hundred metres or so. I start sprinting full out and upon reaching my driveway crumple to the grass.
This isn't the first time I've heard the ol "the legs feed the wolf" encouragment from my dad, and it probably won't be the last. I like it, mainly because in my run-addled brain I envision wolves are chasing me to the end of my route, hungry wolves who have a particular taste for Canadian teenagers. In reality it's only my dad who I have to fend off in the last stretch, no easy feat considering he's a 4-time marathoner.
I first heard the saying back when I watched the movie Miracle and Herb Brooks barked it out to his team. I have a feeling my dad was well aquainted with the phrase, having put in a good several decades under similarily wise, and gruff, hockey coaches, and he has become fairly fond of using it to motivate me and my siblings while running.
Although my brain may not use the saying as it is meant to be used I think it is tremendously relevent and even, dare I say, inspiring.
What I get from "The legs feed the wolf" is just that, for wolves to eat they must be able to catch their food, and to catch their food they need scary-fast legs.
Although I'm not as fury as a wolf and I don't generally chase down deer and moose for dinner, I think this saying can be translated into life really well. When you have a passion or a goal, like writing a book, learning how to speak French or annoying your friends and family, you have to do more than just think about it, you have to take action. You have to start writing short stories or character sketches. You have to take French lessons and maybe travel to Quebec and practice. You have to buy a vuvuzeula and play it continuously in your backyard. The point is, planning and thinking is important to achieving any goal, but to actually get it done you have to really want it and then act on that desire.
But no wolf is born the fastest hunter in the pack, they must practice and develop their legs, just as runners must train and push themselves to pass that competitor in front of them in the last seconds of a race or to beat their personal best time. Nothing comes easy, but practice goes a long way to achieving your goals.
So next time you want to get something done or are just hungry just remember, the legs feed the wolf.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Noble Pursuit of Frisbee Golfing
My favourite place to run is the park. I'll take a good park, or even a bad park, to run in over a new stadium track or quiet suburban streets anyday. And definitely over any treadmill ever!
One of the greatest, most fundamental aspects of running is the freedom I feel while doing it and feeling the grass beneath my feet, the gravel in my shoes and smelling the musty pond water in my nostrils makes it feel all the more natural, freeing and exciting. Now there's not a whole lot of untamed wilderness where I live so parks have become one of my best friends.
I've seen a lot of things in the parks I have run in, some I would rather not have seen and some that make my legs pump faster (more on those things later). One of the most constant things I have seen while running in the park near my house (in which I have logged hundreds of kms) are frisbee golfers, or disc golfers.
Frisbee Golf is almost exactly like regular golf, only instead of a ball it's a frisbee, instead of a hole it's a metal poll and basket and instead of Tiger Woods, there's, um, well to be honest I don't think there's too many scandalous figures in the world of frisbee golfing.
The reason for the lack of Tiger Woods-like figures in frisbee golf is probably due to the fact that, to be honest, the sport isn't exactly the most popular. But to me it's just as noble as any other sport out there exactly for that reason. These frisbee golfers don't play for money or fame or girls, but simply for the love of the game and to hang out with their friends. And guess what, they look happier then a lot of the pro sports guys out there.
I always felt that there was an unspoken bond between frisbee golfers and me when I was running. Both activities are similar in that most people don't do it for attention, but to achieve their own goals and for the pure love of the game. Me and the Frisbee golfers had to climb the same hills, get soaked by the same rain, deal with the same wind and side step the same goose poop, but I have a feeling that all that never mattered to either of us because we were doing something we loved. We understood this and would nod and smile at each other every time we passed ways.
It's the same in life. We all have good days, the equivalent of a nice sunny day with no wind and 20 degree weather for runners and Frisbee golfers, but there's always going to be massively tiring hills, cold rain, fierce winds and, unfortunatley, goose poop throughout life too. And we won't even get put on Nike commercials or have over 100,000 fans on facebook for dealing with it. But I figure that as long as we do the things we love and surround ourselves with people we love, that love us and understand us, then at the end of the day we'll all be able to smile when we come to a hill, let the wind give you a push and have the rain refresh you while really enjoying those sunny days all the more.
One of the greatest, most fundamental aspects of running is the freedom I feel while doing it and feeling the grass beneath my feet, the gravel in my shoes and smelling the musty pond water in my nostrils makes it feel all the more natural, freeing and exciting. Now there's not a whole lot of untamed wilderness where I live so parks have become one of my best friends.
I've seen a lot of things in the parks I have run in, some I would rather not have seen and some that make my legs pump faster (more on those things later). One of the most constant things I have seen while running in the park near my house (in which I have logged hundreds of kms) are frisbee golfers, or disc golfers.
Frisbee Golf is almost exactly like regular golf, only instead of a ball it's a frisbee, instead of a hole it's a metal poll and basket and instead of Tiger Woods, there's, um, well to be honest I don't think there's too many scandalous figures in the world of frisbee golfing.
The reason for the lack of Tiger Woods-like figures in frisbee golf is probably due to the fact that, to be honest, the sport isn't exactly the most popular. But to me it's just as noble as any other sport out there exactly for that reason. These frisbee golfers don't play for money or fame or girls, but simply for the love of the game and to hang out with their friends. And guess what, they look happier then a lot of the pro sports guys out there.
I always felt that there was an unspoken bond between frisbee golfers and me when I was running. Both activities are similar in that most people don't do it for attention, but to achieve their own goals and for the pure love of the game. Me and the Frisbee golfers had to climb the same hills, get soaked by the same rain, deal with the same wind and side step the same goose poop, but I have a feeling that all that never mattered to either of us because we were doing something we loved. We understood this and would nod and smile at each other every time we passed ways.
It's the same in life. We all have good days, the equivalent of a nice sunny day with no wind and 20 degree weather for runners and Frisbee golfers, but there's always going to be massively tiring hills, cold rain, fierce winds and, unfortunatley, goose poop throughout life too. And we won't even get put on Nike commercials or have over 100,000 fans on facebook for dealing with it. But I figure that as long as we do the things we love and surround ourselves with people we love, that love us and understand us, then at the end of the day we'll all be able to smile when we come to a hill, let the wind give you a push and have the rain refresh you while really enjoying those sunny days all the more.
The First Stride
Have you ever tried to stuff a closet or a cupboard or for that matter a fajita with things and it has all come spilling out? Well that is kind of what my brain feels like right now.
You see, I'm a runner. Not a professional runner or even an avid runner, but I love the sport. It's bread in my blood too. My whole family runs and I have had the pleasure and honour of running alongside all of them. To me running is one of the best feelings in the world, probably one of the closest things to a drug I'll ever get.
So after 12 years, about 25 races and over a thousand kilometres running for cross-country teams, track and field squads and just for fun I have gathered a lot of lessons and advice from teammates, family members, friends, an amazing girlfriend, coaches, nature and countless other individuals.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that running is a lot like life.
Just as running is full of hills, heat, wind, rain, sweat, tears and glory so is life and those tidbits of knowledge I picked up, and am still picking up, about running has helped me navigate both the terrain in the park and through my life.
So I have decided to embark on a jouney to get these lessons from my head to paper. Just like running, everything in life starts with the first stride. My journey may be full of pain, cramps, dehydration, euphoria and pride. But for now, this is MY first stride.
See you on the way to my second!
You see, I'm a runner. Not a professional runner or even an avid runner, but I love the sport. It's bread in my blood too. My whole family runs and I have had the pleasure and honour of running alongside all of them. To me running is one of the best feelings in the world, probably one of the closest things to a drug I'll ever get.
So after 12 years, about 25 races and over a thousand kilometres running for cross-country teams, track and field squads and just for fun I have gathered a lot of lessons and advice from teammates, family members, friends, an amazing girlfriend, coaches, nature and countless other individuals.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that running is a lot like life.
Just as running is full of hills, heat, wind, rain, sweat, tears and glory so is life and those tidbits of knowledge I picked up, and am still picking up, about running has helped me navigate both the terrain in the park and through my life.
So I have decided to embark on a jouney to get these lessons from my head to paper. Just like running, everything in life starts with the first stride. My journey may be full of pain, cramps, dehydration, euphoria and pride. But for now, this is MY first stride.
See you on the way to my second!
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