Day 314: Going back...

In June of 2009 I pretty much figured I had run my last marathon.  I just completed the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego, making my way to Colorado where 14ers and snowboarding would take the place of the pavement pounding I had endured since leaving the Army in 1989.  But since I moved to Colorado that little marathon bug has been nipping at me from time to time.  At first it was easy to ignore as my knees and back reminded me what the cost of 30 marathons has been to my body.   But as I've healed along the way I'm listening less to that bug and more to that inner voice that compels me to visit one of my favorite marathon stomping grounds of all, Death Valley.  It finally became clear to me last night that I would go back.  

The most important part of deciding to do a marathon is having that inner discussion where you can openly and honestly determine if this is something you truly need to do.  I'm intentionally using "need" here instead of "want".  We can want all we want but there's little motivation to push us to achieve anything that we "want".  But when that objective becomes a "need", our motivation and commitment are far stronger.  When you "need" to run a marathon quitting or slacking on your workouts will never be an option.  Workouts become a necessity.  Your diet becomes a necessity.  Making your running a priority is a necessity.  That's why you see so many people fail at the big challenges in their life.  They'll tell you time and again how they want to do this or want to do that and will nearly always fail.  Wanting a new job, wanting to run a marathon, wanting to lose weight, wanting that college degree or wanting to be a more compassionate and forgiving person, they're all just dreams until you change those wants into needs.

So barring any logistical challenges or catastrophic physical hardship, I'll be heading back to Death Valley in December of 2013.  That pretty much gives me a year to ready myself not just for the physical challenges but also the spiritual journey that typically takes a toll on me.  I've mentioned Death Valley before in my blog so if you've read any of those posts you'll know Death Valley holds a significant place in my heart.  I won't go into those details now.  Perhaps another time.  So for now I've set my sights on returning to what I consider very sacred ground and for the next year I'll be focusing my mind, body and spirit on fulling a very personal "need".