Wednesday, June 24, 2015

A (brief) message to those running Western States

“Life had been reduced from a highly complex existence, with a thousand petty problems, to one of the barest simplicity in which only one real task remained – the achievement of the goal.”

That is an excerpt from the 1959 novel, Endurance, a book I highly encourage everyone to read. As soon as I read that line, my mind immediately drifted to the feelings I have at the start of a race. I felt it eloquently described a runner’s mindset as they toe the line. The hard work is over. The long months of training are behind them. Race day is finally here! As soon as that gun goes off, the daily scattering of thoughts and worries evaporate and they are left with only one focus, achieving their goal.

Good luck to all those running Western States this weekend!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

My thoughts on nature and John Muir

"I'm glad I'm not great enough to be missed in the busy world." John Muir wrote that in his journal, which later became a collection known as My First Summer in the Sierra. That statement stayed with me long after I read it. How could Muir, now recognized as one of the great trailblazing pioneers, think so little of himself? Certainly, a man of Muir's stature in today's society, would be missed. Yet, in the summer of 1869, long before the very trails he was hiking on were named after him, he felt free; unbounded by the demands that call so many of us back home.

To bring some context to Muir's statement, he was referring to an encounter he had with an old friend, Professor Butler. Muir bumped into the "Professor" (as Muir called him) near the famous North Dome of Yosemite, and spent the rest of the day visiting with him.

That evening, Muir tried to convince the Professor to camp with him in the high Sierra. However, much to Muir's surprise, he learned that the Professor had to return back to civilization due to his obligations. Muir would later write that he pitied "the poor Professor, bound by clocks, almanacs, orders, duties, etc., where Nature is covered and her voice smothered..."

Over the years (and I credit much of this to my discovery of trail running) I've found myself more connected with nature and its peaceful solitude. As I read Muir's words, I often find myself saying, "YES!" It is very easy nowadays to get comfortable in our routines. But, more often than not, if we stay comfortable for too long, we grow uncomfortable. John Muir's journals and essays remind me that while I can't ignore life's everyday demands, I'm not bound to them. His words have shown me that when I'm starting to feel drained by the stresses in my life, a little dose of nature is all I need to restore my energy.