• Not really •
[2 MIN READ]
Already at least 10 years ago, a long-time friend and I were among a few others comparing notes about the things that were going wrong as we were aging. In closing, Friend uttered the immortal quote: “It sucks to grow old.”
When running with SRC folk, I’ve taken to asking, “How are your parts holding up?” It’s a realistic question across the lifespan because stuff happens. I am pointed about asking the question in that value-neutral way, rather than focusing on what’s falling apart. It doesn’t change the reality that the answer is often the same thing that was struggling to hold together at the last conversation. In reality, bodies don’t recover as completely and quickly as they age.
Asking the question in the value-neutral fashion removes a degree of negativity, though. There’s no doubt that we’re all growing older, no matter what age we are. (It does bring to mind the morose retort: “It’s better than the alternative.”) The frame of mind we have about the process is key. Although I laughed when Friend offered the utterance about aging, the immediate next thought I had was that, unless I developed a more equanimous attitude, I was doomed to be negative for the rest of my life. (Bear in mind, too, that negativity itself can also accelerate aging.) That meant that I needed to be more positive or I at least needed to figure out how to be more even keeled about the process.
So while it’s true “I don’t run as fast as I used to” and “I wish I ran faster, like in my earlier life,” I’m actually working toward focusing on the value-neutral fact: For me, the pace right now is going to be 9:30 to 10:30 per mile. Here’s the other reality: As long as we’re running, we’re still doing the kind of activity that would improve life for a huge percentage of the rest of the American populace. At Shawmont Running Club, we have an inspiring number of runners (including us, to a lot of other outside people) who continue to be engaged in that activity.
We can focus on negativity or we can celebrate persistence. I’ve made my decision on the matter.
-CtCloser (Calvinthe) “Negative Split or Positive Splat” #dothedue
FINE PRINT ¶Text by Calvin Wang (Wäng), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-published: Facebook Shawmont Running Club (ZY Weekly Newsletter 9/7/24), Shawmont Running Club website, Ruminations by CtCloser. ¶This website posting: Rumination with added caption and minor editing.
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