The Grind...

When The Grind comes…

On Saturday I began running at 805AM in the morning. 

The first two miles were up a mountain.  4280 feet of elevation to 4872 feet.  It only got better from there.  You might ask – what is better than that Dave?  Better is the rocks on the course.  The beautiful views of the mirror like surface of the Great Salt Lake and the sunrise.  More rocks.  Then it got better than that.  There was Mountain Dew at the first aid station.  And M&Ms and cookies – and straight Coke.  I chose the Mountain Dew. 

After that aid station – you go on down the mountain.  Like a rollicking porpoise in the ocean – you are kicking rocks all of the way.  You are going up and down the mountains.  Is there any help out there for you?  No.  It tis just be you – and the mountain.  Nobody can drag your ass up the hill.  Nobody can drag your ass further.  It is just you.  You.  All you got is you.  You could quit.  At any time you could quit and just pack it up and go home.  But how do you get back down the mountain?  The same way you got up there.  Might as well continue – oh yes you continue.

You go back to 4241 feet – and slog through a loose trail – and I do mean loose.  The rocks here were deposited whilst Hercules was cleaning the stalls of the 12 incontinent bulls.  They have been left here for your feet to hit – stumble over – and get in your way.  Did I mention this was a trail run?  Oh yes.  Did I mention that you are only 2:46:40 seconds into the trail run?

Stevie Wonder begins to play at this time.  Superstition.  Music makes it easier.  Oh, wait – you are at the 2:26:40 – where you have been left by all the (g)ods of running.  No fleet of foot here.  Here begins the slog up the mountain.  How far do you want to go?

How about from 4238FT to 5249FT.  Straight up the damned mountain.  No running here.  1011 feet up the mountain.

That will only take you an hour.  Of your life.

You get there.  More Mountain Dew.  Lots of it this time.  The remark – “hey you are at the top of the mountain.  Did you know everyone else but you signed up BEFORE today?  They are crazy, you are a special type of crazy.”  Thanks.

Then you begin the descent.  All the way down the mountain.  You can’t go fast – you are fat and rolling down the mountain isn’t an option.  At mile 15 you stop.  You send a message to your wife and I quote: 

“Molly I am halfway through it is noon I don’t think I’ll be done before 5 I’m sorry this is a beast I’m going to go back to running now and put this back in my pack and I don’t think I’m going to be done until 4 I’m so sorry.”

I misspelled my wife’s name because I couldn’t type with my fingers.  It must have looked to the other stragglers on this race that I was praying to some god in the West – because the ones in the East had given up on me.  I put the phone back in my pack and kept going. 

Why?  Because you can’t stop.  You can’t say – “Damn this was hard and I gave up.”  Or the better one “I sure hope I don’t die out here – the other runners won’t help me – they want to finish too.” 

When the grind calls you – you step it up.  You are the only one that can do it.  You are the only one that can answer the call.  Nobody else can step in for you.  Negative Ghost Rider – the pattern is full.  THREE MILES UP THE MOUNTAIN.  Nobody to carry your sorry carcass up there – and nobody will carry you back down.  You get to do it.  This is not some pansy road race where they have a tent with medical people in it to help you.  The aid station dudes just go – “damn that was a nice little hill for you, would you like more Mountain Dew?”  Yes Please.  The lady at the last aid station told me to not use as many cups of her Mountain Dew and we agreed she would pour and I would just drink.

Life is exactly like this race.  In every day you will find obstacles – three miles up the mountain.  Nobody to help you or to assist.  You will find yourself on a trip that you signed up for and you get what you punched the ticket.  Your feet will hurt.  Your mind will tell you – “hey dude – just turn around.  It is only 15 miles back to the start.”  Then your mind recalculates – and tells you “Quit being such a baby – it is only 16 miles finish.” 

You dig back to your roots of your existence – and you slap the grit out of your eyes – and press forward.  There is no going back.  There is no surrender.  There is no acquiescing to pain.  There is no give in.  There is no give up.  There is no understanding of stopping.  You put your hands on your knees – and you calculate – “what do I need to do to finish?” 

You grind it.  You do it.  You finish.  If you need to walk – you walk – if you can run – you run.

You finish.  You fight your mind and your body.  You hurt – but pain is temporary.  You can’t stop.  Nobody else will do it for you.

Hard is worth it.  Hard makes you dig into your soul and try harder.  Hard is what life is made of.  You keep moving – Hard does not frighten you. 

Press it – grind it – do it – finish it – there is only one goal – get it done.

You land your boat on the shore of a challenge.  You burn the boat – because there is no turning back.  You do it.  You make it – you build and grow to meet the challenge. 

Feed your fire.  Love the grind.  Step out into the unknown.   At 7:53:54 you finish.  Doesn’t that sound better?

FMR