February 2012

[glaconman]

Your 'p*ssing in the wind' thoughts are an interesting aside Dan.

It reminds me of 'The Doubt' that Eddie Merx talked about. I've always interpreted this as not only being a physical doubt about 'can I do this' but also a more philosophical doubt about 'why am I doing this'.

I guess the answer to this is that runnng is an absorbing sport. I always describe it as fascinating and complex; but it can demand a high level of absorbtion. And this for me is far more important than any glib goals centered around 'happiness' that we may have.

I would also commend the mental aspect of running. Mark E Smith said something along the lines of: the only place we live is in our heads. And if you're at the helm of a large family and a professional career then you need to keep this mental space organised and healthy.

I'd also say running allows one of the few opportunties to achieve measurable success in life. In our many roles, as husbands, friends, fathers, employees or whatever it's sometimes difficult to feel this. These roles stretch out into the distance, often with few waymarkers or visible dashboards.

But with running there is a start-line and a finish-line. And if I give my all in-between then I've succeeded. These are the simple criteria. And that feeling can be a real tonic as we meander through space and time.