Six days from now, my first official 5k will be in the books. Running hasn’t necessarily gotten easy (I live at about 4500 feet, frequently run in wind, and have a hilly neighborhood); however, when I am not running uphill, it has gotten a lot less difficult. In fact, I focus on getting to the flat and downhill parts of the run as I am running uphill.

Come to think of it, this is sort of a metaphor for life isn’t it? Don’t we power through the tough spots in order to get to the easier parts of life? We celebrate Wednesdays because we are halfway through the work week. The doctor gives a child a sucker after administering vaccinations. I maintain a healthy diet during the week and on Friday nights I don’t count calories. And when we run or hike or walk or bike uphill, we hold long enough to get to the easier part of our journey.

But is that the best way to live our lives? Should we just plow through the tough times? Aren’t we missing something in that process? What if, rather than looking forward, we stayed in the moment? What would my run be like if I didn’t run for the flat and downhill parts of the route, but instead focused on each footfall? Is it possible to celebrate Mondays?

I am running the Run or Dye 5K next Saturday (benefiting Northern NV Children’s Cancer Foundation) and I plan to be present for each moment of my run. I have planned for this since the end of December and don’t want to miss a moment. People don’t often take up running in events at age 55. I initially set a goal of one 5k in my 55 year. Now I am wondering if I should do 5 5k’s in my 55 year. What do you think?

(by the way, I don’t run in my hiking  boots – I just didn’t have a photo of my running shoes handy)