Soybeans at sunset near Champaign Urbana, Illinois
Late in the day. Sunset.
Long run across the corn and soybean lined fields of Champaign County, Illinois.
Long slow joy.
The sound of insects and distant tractors.
Hot. Humid.
Good air.
Low light.
Yes, yes, yes.
My soul says yes.
A lot of what this journey is about is getting past–no running WAY beyond what I ended up with at about age 40. I was a mess. Depressed, not being the husband to one of the greatest women on the planet. Missing my kids coming and going. And letting weak, maladjusted people torque my life into neutral.
It was not until I quit–in 2008–that I began to get ahold of the core things that all along I thought I believed. And this run–this is about letting all of it seep out and getting ahold of and flowing with joy.
Its been a long time.
In the meantime–a lot of life is like a stone cold hotel room–and faith or trust is about receiving and creating and giving joy when all seems empty.
I am alive. I can run. The sun shines and things grow. Joel.
Reality is–I am the light of the world. So I am here to have and ooze joy.
With my old man running buddies at Gifford Illinois, summer, 2014.
Not sure how this got started.
There was growing up in Kansas with all those runners and loving to run.
There was that day I ran home in the rain in my penny loafers trying to beat a depressed funk.
There were those seemingly effortless jogs with the Raramuri in Porochi, Copper Canyon.
Then my wife proclaimed me retired on Memorial Day weekend a few weeks ago.
We had taken the Raramuri runners to Run Rabbit Run twice–they never finished the 100–too rugged.
So I decided to give the 50 miler a try.