Make It Up As You Go Along and Just Be Happy That You Can

(image courtesy of http://www.voyageur50.com)

In racing, in training, in LIFE, sometimes you plan everything out perfectly only to have everything fall apart.  This is something that used to drive me crazy when I was younger dumber.  Not being able to control things and not having my carefully laid plans come to fruition was such a struggle for me and I have the salt and pepper hair to prove it.

Thankfully, I have since given up that fight.  Sure, I’m a work in progress, but I am concentrating on being mindful of my shortcomings — control being one of the biggest — and I’m finding this awareness to be a quick and healthy solution to managing the stress and fear that tends to accompany not being in control.

As Chinua Achebe (and The Roots) once told us: things fall apart.

Get used to it!

And besides, I have found that life is so much more enjoyable when I just let it come to me and experience it in the present tense, right now.  Running certainly taught me that.  Looking at myself and my actions from an outsider’s perspective taught me that too.

So when my big plans to race the Christmas in July 12-hour timed event this July fell through recently (for several reasons, I’m guessing mostly permit related at this point), I let myself be upset for about five seconds before I hopped on the interwebs and started looking for another event to fill the void.

Found it!

The Minnesota Voyageur 50 Mile Trail Ultramarathon.

I’m sure my butt will hurt just the same traversing through lush Minnesota forest as it would running in circles around a municipal park.  So it’s time to keep pushing on with the training towards my goal of scootin’ up and down those power lines!