Day 57: Three in a Row!!

I won't speak much on the subject so as not to jinx myself, but today was the third straight good run. Haven't had four straight since the trip started, so I am really hoping for a good day tomorrow. It's kind of a streak. And streaks are a fragile thing, especially for a former baseball player like myself. Baseball players are notoriously supersticious, so I will be very cautious of what I do and say leading up to tomorrow. Great Bull Durham qoute: "A player on a streak has to respect the streak, you know why? Because they don't come around very often. If you believe you are playing well because you are getting laid, or because you are not getting laid, or because you wear women's underwear, than you are!!" Haha, I love that movie, and I'm sure Elliot will get a kick out of the qoute, 'cause she can basically quote the entire movie as well. Although I am not wearing women's underwear while running, I did commit something to my mind on the first day of this set of four, and it has seemed to stick the last few days. As I was beginning the first 4 mile stretch that day, I could tell in my mind that I was already complaining about little things again. "My hip is aching, my feet hurt, why is my knee throbbing, why is the wind hitting me sideways..." I was coming off a good rest day, and I should have been feeling good, but just a few minutes in, these were the thoughts I was allowing in my mind. Then, the song "8th of November" by Big-n-Rich came on the IPod. I don't think I'd heard it on this trip yet; if so, it was very early in the trip. The song has very special meaning to me. Always reminds me of my good buddy Mike Snyder. If you haven't heard it, stop reading this right now, and YouTube the song. I'll wait again... Ok. The song is a true story of the events that occured the 8th of November, 1965 in Vietnam, with regards to the soldiers of 173rd Airborne. It is an emotion-provoking song to me, every time I hear it. Came along at the right time for me in this trip as well. I realized after listening to the song that for the past few weeks, up in the high elevation, I have allowed my mind to develop a negative attitude with regards to my running. Without even really knowing it, I have been starting each day the past few weeks worrying about the things I cannot change. the elevation, the aches, the pains, the bad knees, the lack of energy. It's a self-fufilling prophecy. Had I heard the song 2 weeks ago, maybe it would have snapped me out of it earlier. I think I was meant to go through those weeks like that though. It allowed me to be awakened so nicely a few days ago. I thought very hard for the few minutes after the song ended about the young men in that story, and how they must have felt going through pure hell. The few that actually did survive, how they must have felt coming home, and throughout the rest of their lives. Perspective can be a very humbling thing, and I am glad this journey continues to give me a healthy dose of it. I said to myself right then, no more complaining, period. No more, for the rest of this trip. How dare I voluntarily take on this task, and then whine and cry when everything isn't peachy. How dare I sit here and complain about a little soreness (which obviously isn't that bad, since I can continue to run 20 miles a day). How dare I moan about a "lack of energy". These young men, and countless others before and after, suffered immeasurably worse hardships, for much longer periods, with far less energy, than I ever have the right to complain about. Some of them cannot complain at all, because they gave their lives for me. I feel ashamed at every little complaint I've made on this trip. Yes, it is extremely difficult, and yes, it is testing the limits of my physical and mental capacity, and beyond. But does that give me the right to bitch and moan about it. No. I CHOSE to do this! So, starting 3 days ago, I swore to myself that I would no longer complain about my little situations. I hope to stick to this, because it has made a significant difference in my mindset these past 3 runs. I feel refocused, refreshed, and once again, resiliant. And if I begin to slip, maybe I'll just remember to put that song back on and remind myself to have some perspective, and a nice big slice of humble pie.