A week ago, I drove to Ocean City, MD on a Friday afternoon. Four hours plus of stops and starts, merges and yields and cut offs. Everyone is in a hurry to catch up to the next pack of traffic. (A topic for future treatment) My only salvation was listening to a stream of inspirational messages for the entire trip. After surviving this frenetic ordeal, I arrived at my destination – tired, raw, and frustrated, needing replenishment and rejuvenation. Sufficiently motivated, I decided to strap on the Nike’s and pound the pavement. The air was fresh and the sun was beginning its decent to its daily blaze of crimson glory.
Now, I run at Northside Park in Ocean City, MD where there are several paths marked for distance and direction. Runners, bikers, families and dog walkers are welcome and plentiful. The park has a tot lot so it is always populated with young families and many children- who have come to the beach with an agenda of zero obligation and limitless fun. There is also a parade of people like me trying to pack a month’s worth of exercise into one run. Needless to say, there is energy in the park making it a great place to unwind from the arduous drive. So there I am, shuffling around the loop that measures .92 of a mile – a skinny latte mile. Nothing pretty here as God granted me just enough speed to avoid being slow. All the regulars mind the arrows and direction, so the loops are like a ribbon of runners and walkers making their way around the loop.
On this night I saw something new and with 45 minutes to think, my mind began to ponder a bigger message. Something new invaded the park – Segway Personal Transportation devices. Four of them to be exact, and all being used by young teen boys. And they were riding against the flow of traffic. Every time they passed, I had to make plenty of room to let them pass safely. Each time we passed, it seemed increasingly absurd. I wondered about the cost of a Segway that I later confirmed at over $3,000. I remember being happy with a bike – now teens get a device to ride in large circles offering no benefit to the rider. I can almost hear the conversation. “Didn’t we but Jimmy a bike last year? Yes, but when he rides his bike, he gets sweaty and you know how he hates to sweat.” Plus, these boys were dressed as the “Merchants of Cool.” The ride looked like fun – a two wheeled transport with a gyroscope that prevents the machine from tipping over. Very appealing at first glance, until it hit me. What’s the point?
There I was, one of many, looping the park, step-by-step, into the wind then with the wind. Facing the sunset then watching the tot lot. This effort had a point. It takes effort to reap rewards. Plus, I was listening to a speaker who was teaching about conquering fear to attack possibility over doubt. The Segways were headed in the wrong direction. Achievement is all about direction, effort and diligence. The runners were headed in the right direction even though in my case my mind was my greatest enemy. You see, running is an endeavor that seems like a great idea, right up until I take the first step. Crossing the Route 90 Bridge, this was a genius idea. Running across the bridge leaving the island, it seemed like a terrible idea. The first ten minutes are awful. “Why did you have this stupid idea?” “Do I really have time for this?” “My knee hurts.” “I just got passed by another old guy. Man am I slow.” “Maybe I should stop after this lap.” “You idiot, why are you trying to kill yourself.” This is my thought pattern every time I run in the park – every time.
Time and repetition have taught me a valuable lesson. I start with a number of laps in mind (my goal). On this night it was 5. After lap 1, I was hedging my bets, maybe 4 was enough – all the time I had to invest in this endeavor. I reconciled to hang in there for 4 laps. By lap 3, I knew I would complete 5 because the Segways, circling in the wrong direction, were motivating me. I was convinced that the easy way was the wrong way and the runners were on the correct path.
Isn’t this metaphor for life? Hasn’t life taught us this lesson? To get something of value, we have to struggle and persevere past our limiting thinking. The hardest part is the start, followed by the pain that hits you when you realize that this isn’t easy. Herein lies the benefit to sticking to the plan. It doesn’t hurt to have encouragement along the way. Without the IPOD, I may have quit before I really got started. In the end, I nourished my body and fertilized my mind at the same time. Not a bad combination. On this night, I also found a valuable lesson for life.
