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Dave Griffin On Running
By Dave Griffin
September/October 2009
For the Washington Running Report
I ran my last personal record (PR) on April 2, 1989 at the age of 28. From 1982 to ‘89 I raced various distances, from 5K to the marathon, and in that period I ran all my best times. Back then running was simple. I ran to race fast and that was pretty much it.
Since then, I haven't come close to beating any of those PRs. So why, you might wonder, am I still running 20 years later?
I could give you simple reasons. Running boosts my confidence. It keeps me fit. I enjoy being around other runners. Those are all good things, but the real reason I'm still running is far more complicated than any of those things.
Each time I run the unwelcome noise of life quiets. The thick pressure of work subsides. In the simple rhythm of running, I come back to the core of myself.
It is there, at my center, where I remember why I am here. It is there that I remember what I love. There reside the principles and values that guide me. Life pulls me away from all that. Running moves me back.
I can begin a run faced with a complicated dilemma, and finish it with clear vision. Every conflict that is thrown my way is resolved when I remember what is important, and running never fails to remind me what that is.
There is more. Running challenges me. A thousand times, it has confronted me with obstacles I did not think I would overcome. It has brought fatigue and weariness, and yet even in the throws of exhaustion, it leaves a small burning ember of strength, always just enough. After so many trials, I have learned that hope is always present if you look hard enough, and hope is a precious thing.
I still remember all my fastest races. I remember the toil of the training, long miles, and fast repeats. I remember the anticipation of the starting lines when anything was possible. I remember the strategy of competition, tucking in behind the leaders and then surging when the timing was perfect. And, I can still feel the exhilaration of the finish lines, knowing I had surpassed my best yet again and wondering where the next plateau would lead me.
When I was running those races my single motivation was competition, reaching ever higher levels of success. I am thankful that I had running to feed my competitive spirit, but even more thankful that my competitive spirit led me to running.
I did not realize it at the time, but searching for my potential as a runner taught me how to find my potential as a person. In the process of trying to do my best, I learned how to be my best. Running formed my core values, and my core values shape my life.
I am much slower than I used to be, but that is okay. It is not as much about speed anymore; there is something more important to me than that. That something is living virtuously.
When it comes to that, I know I still have some unused potential, but each run seems to move me a little bit closer. And, that is why I am still running, so long after my last PR.
Dave Griffin writes a bi-weekly running column and offers coaching to both beginning and experienced distance runners. Contact Dave at dpgflyingfeet@aol.com or join the Dave Griffin On Running group at facebook.com.
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