The Power of Being There...

I had a unique experience this last Wednesday. I watched a baby being delivered in an airport in Chicago. I was traveling from Dallas to Chicago and happened to sit next to a man in his late forties or early fifties who was holding a 6 month-old baby girl. The woman traveling with him looked old enough to be his wife, but she turned out to be his mother-in-law. Soon everyone sitting near them was fawning over the baby. He then began to tell the story of how he came to be flying that day.
He was on his way home to Chicago from Guatemala. He and his mother-in-law had just picked up this precious, almond-eyed, baby girl as his new adopted daughter. His wife is afraid to fly so his mother-in-law volunteered to make the trip with him. He let us know that he had grown children from a previous marriage and he and his new wife wanted a child together but could not conceive. They decided to adopt and wanted to help a child from another country have a shot at a better life here in America. We also learned that mom-to-be had never seen this baby girl (who's name is Costanza) and she would be waiting for them when the plane arrived.
I don't know how it happened—I believe I know why it happened but I will discuss that in a moment—but everyone sitting near them on that plane decided they had to see this moment when mother and child would embrace for the first time. It was as if 50 people were being invited into the delivery room (without all the bad stuff).
As we disembarked from the plane we formed this natural wake behind the dad and daughter, trailing along, no one wanting to pass in front. We all became invested in this anticipated moment. As the airport corridors twisted and turned we began offering directions and guidance to the fastest way to where mom would be waiting. Our collective paces quicken with each stride.
Then it happened. Mother saw her daughter for the first time. At that moment it was as if a bubble formed over our group and the family. The noises of the airport faded into the background, the colors of the airport blended together into a mosaic blur, and all that was in focus was a mother embracing her daughter for the first time. The only clear sounds were joyful tears (mom’s and ours).
Looking back on this moment I have come to realize it was a moment I personally could not have passed up. I had the chance to hurry past and get my bags and get to the hotel but something inside of me was saying slow down, witness this, feel this, participate in something good. A mother's first embrace of child only occurs once in a lifetime. A gentle voice inside of me said, "Just be there."
What does this have to do with running? Well, you may have decided to run your first race (5K to Marathon) and may be bashful about telling people your goals or having others come experience it with you. Don't be. Let them come and cheer you on. It doesn't matter how fast or how slow you run. What matters is something special happens when you get out of your comfort zone and share it with others, everyone gets blessed.
There have been many mornings I have sneaked out of my house to run a race and didn't bother to wake anyone. I even ran my first marathon with no one waiting for me at the finish. I regret that now. There are people in our lives who may not run but would love the chance to "just be there." I encourage each of you to include others in your running endeavors. Let them come, let them cheer for you, let them share.
And, make sure, at some point, you are there for someone else who may be running or walking. I have had the chance to train and run a marathon with one of my best friends. I had more joy and tears over him finishing than me. That same friend was there for me at the finish of another marathon that I ran. There is something special and encouraging about sharing these events with others.
Costanza's parents will never know the impact of letting us share that brief but powerful moment of family unity. I feel fortunate to have been there. It really solidified in me how important it is to “be there” to live in the moment, to slow down and be engaged and present for others when the opportunities arise. It has the potential to change you forever.

Finish Strong,
Coach Bill

Why the marathon...

I would not say I am a "fan" of the television show The Biggest Loser, I am more a fan of the people and what they are able to accomplish. Last Tuesday night the four remaining contestants on the show ventured into my area, The Marathon!

Each of the contestants was now back home struggling with life outside of the ranch when a small round box arrived at their door. Inside contained instructions for the next challenge they would face. It turned out that in 26 days they would be required to do a marathon—26.2 miles! Only one of the four participants knew that 26 days was not normally enough time to adequately train for and complete a marathon. The other three reacted much like others when confronted with the prospect of covering 26.2 miles—shock, excitement, doubt, hope, fear—just to name a few emotions.

Watching this drama unfold on the television reminded me of the hundreds of people I have personally coached and discussed the challenge of running a marathon with over the years. There is a mystique about the marathon. It is the crowning jewel of any runner of any ability level. It is our Everest. But the question that has fascinated me is, “why?” This is what I discovered:

First, the marathon is impossible. Let me explain. There are hundreds of thousands of people each year who complete the distance. If we live in a big city there is a chance we have watched them run past on any given Sunday. If not, we may have been turned into ESPN on Patriot’s Day and watch 40, 000 plus runners journey from Hopkinton to Boston. We see it, but much like a magic trick is to us normal mortals, what we see seems impossible. It's this impossibility and the chance that we can overcome it, that draws us to it. There is a hunger in each of us that causes the person we aspire to be, the person inside of us, what some would call our spirit, to look at the impossible and say, "I can do that!"

Second, the marathon is improbable. With each step we take up a flight of stairs the pain in our knee calls out to us. Each time we find ourselves on the ground playing with our kids and struggle to get back up, groaning the entire way. Each time we find ourselves getting winded with the lightest of exertion. It is during these times we know the human body is not meant to cover 26.2 miles. It just doesn't make sense. We quietly ask ourselves, "Man, if it hurts this much walking or jogging 1 mile, how much will it hurt if I do 26?" Yet, that hunger still exists.

Third, the marathon is impractical. Often our curiosity will get the best of us and we will bashfully ask someone who we know is training for a marathon, “What does it take to run a marathon?” Without missing a beat these good natured runners begin spouting off numbers that send us reeling. They tell us they are running about 50 miles a week, with speed days on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a long run on Saturday that will get up to at least 20 miles. We look down at our watch and see we ran our last mile in 18 minutes. With a couple of quick computations we have just discovered that it would take us 900 minutes to do a 50 mile week or 15 hours. We then realize that is a part-time job! “What will our spouses think?” “What if I fail?” “What if I get hurt?” are questions echoing in our minds. Yet, the hunger persists.

Finally, and most importantly, the marathon is imaginable. One of our strongest features as a human is our ability to dream. We can see ourselves doing anything in an imagined world. The marathon is one of the few vehicles here on Earth that gives us the ability to cross over from the imagined to the tangible. On our one mile runs we can raise our arms in victory when we cross the imaginary finish line at the local park and if we are really in the zone, we can feel it. The moment becomes real. It is that feeling of power, that feeling of victory, that fuels our hunger to want more. Especially when so much of our daily lives make us feel powerless and defeated. The person inside of each of us knows, that if we can experience it in our mind, it is within our power to experience it for real. The only variable is us, are we willing to pay the cost and do the work to make it happen?

Last Tuesday night I stood transfixed before my television set watching four people who, knowing the marathon was impossible, improbable and impractical, made a choice to embrace the imaginable and just go for it. Tears streamed down my face as I celebrated each person crossing the finish line. Some were running, some walking, one was almost sent to the hospital, but no one quit. I saw each of them dig deep within themselves, to push and pull and cry and yell, until the imaginable had no choice but to venture into the world of reality.

My hope for each of you this week is to understand that just because you may feel blanketed by the impossible, the improbable and the impractical, nothing but you can stop the imaginable. See yourself doing what it is you want to do. See yourself being what you want to be. But you can't stop there! You have to take those first steps. With each step, you too will cause the imaginable to venture into the world of reality. When this happens you will be forever changed.

Finish Strong,
Coach Bill

The Gift...

I had the privilege recently to spend some time with runner and author Janet Hamilton. The entire time we were together she kept repeating the phrase, "The gift of running..." The more I meditate on Janet's words the more I realize what a precious gift it is to be able to run (move). I have noticed more and more individuals having a terribly difficult time moving. I see people with walkers in the mall, electric shopping carts in the grocery store, and people who just seem to grimace each time they take a step. My heart breaks for these people because I know it was not always this way for them.

In my own life I have noticed a dramatic shift in the how I move. In the last 20 years I had gained a total of 100 pounds. I say had because I'm working every day to shed these pounds. However, I am working even harder to understand what caused me to gain this weight in the first place--a question much of America is wrestling to answer each day. I'm not lazy. I'm not a bad person. I'm not any of the things we falsely attribute to the obese. However, as I come to grips with my own personal struggle with weight and the issues behind it, I realize my issue could just be rooted in a misunderstanding of the "Gift" Janet was referring to.

There have been hundreds of thousands of pages written in literature on the parables of lost gifts, misunderstood gifts and gifts one possessed all along but didn't know it. I don't dare try to write my own now. However, with the gift of running, or movement, I have come to realize that like any good gift it must be appreciated. I remember one Christmas receiving a really nice tie clip. At the time I was not wearing ties much so I just tossed it the drawer. However, later I took a new job that required I professional. I immediately knew I had a great tie clip to wear and I would look great. The problem was, I had no idea where this gift had last been placed. I searched and searched and could never find it. I thought I knew exactly where I had left it, but it was gone. It was not until I had some outside help step in and guide me, did I have a chance to find that gift.

For many people this is how it is with our fitness level and our ability to move pain free and the freedom that accompanies it. They think (I thought) my ability to move was right there safe and sound, only to discover that when I needed it, it was gone. This realization is sad and discouraging and the pain often causes many (including me at times) to stay where I am and not want to work to get my gift back. Resignation is a sorrowful emotion and will overtake us in a heartbeat if we let it. I have found the solution is to be around others who are looking for, caring for, and sharing their gift, to help us find our gift again.

My hope for you this day would be to find someone near you and help them find their gift of movement again. It can be a friend, a child, an entire class full of kids, an elderly person, someone who was once fit but has lost it. Just find someone and help them to find their gift by sharing yours. Some of my best runs have been when I have slowed way down and encouraged a new runner. They are so excited to finish a mile or a 5k or whatever distance and are so grateful you sacrificed and ran with them to help them. What they don't realize is the big secret is when we share our gift with others, our gift is replenished even bigger than it was before.

The next time you are in the mall or the grocery store or wherever, and you see someone who is struggling to move. Please don't judge them for their size or how they look. Look upon them with the eyes of compassion, with the eyes of someone who has a precious gift share and wants to help them find their own.

I promise if you do this your life will be blessed as runner.
Finish Strong,
Coach Bill

Welcome to First Steps

First a brief explanation of the title "First Steps." I chose this because there have been and still remain many goals and life experiences I wish to accomplish. However, for me the challenging part has always been the first steps. I soon found that by sharing my goals and experiences with others has made taking those first steps that much easier. I've also learned that first steps are steps we have the chance to take daily in many areas of our life.

My goal for this blog is to share my personal journey of "First Steps" in a effort to encourage others to do the same. I will do this through the medium of running. Now, before you run(pardon the pun) screaming away, let me define running. For me a runner is anyone who laces up a pair of running shoes with the intent of moving their body from one place to another in the hopes that someday they can either get a little faster, go a little longer, breath a little easier, get a little thinner, feel a little healthier or get a littler stronger. Running as always been for me about moving at whatever pace possible. True runners understand the spirit of running that exists in the people I've described above. A true runner will never make you feel bad about how you look or how fast you run (or shuffle, or scoot), they will be impressed that you are sharing something that they love also. I know from my own personal experiences of getting out of my comfort zone and the experiences of those I have coached, that act of training for a running a race of any distance and completing the distance, has life changing potential.

I want to use this blog to share my personal goals, challenges and experiences in a hope that you, the reader, will do the same. I know if we do it together, there is nothing we can't do.

Remember, "It's not how fast...it's how far you've come and how far you want to go." --Coach Bill

Talk to you all soon,
Coach Bill