Takeaways about the Malibu Half Marathon

I went to the Finish line of the Malibu Half Marathon today at Zuma Beach…I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for but I went anyways….one thing I was going to see for sure….. many people who, at that very exact moment of crossing the finish line, were at their highest state of joy and accomplishment for the day. For many it might be their most joyful moment of the year, and for others it might rank as one of the most fulfilling of their lives.

It was a 13.1 mile race so it was no cakewalk….that’s for sure…..approximately 2 hours plus of running for most people….a lot of preparation and commitment and discipline went into the effort….they didn’t have to do it…it is a totally voluntary thing. That is something I find fascinating…..People subjecting themselves to physical pain and anguish and a great deal of discipline and time investment in order to do something they don’t have to do….I don't know any of their stories. Someone might have just lost a parent; another might have lost their job or be celebrating the recovery from cancer.

It’s one thing if you are forced to do something…but when you throw yourself in the path of pain for a goal that the vast majority of people don’t value, then that is compelling….These people aren’t there for money or fame….or applause----they are testing their limits…all of these people are trying to test (and extend) boundaries…push themselves into a different realm. They are trying to learn more about themselves…..they are testing the limits of their hearts….because, in the end, I think it is about the heart.

As I stood at the finish line I saw the tall and the small…the very athletic and the much lesser athletic..ALL running the same race…….it was a larger metaphor….as humans on this planet virtually all of us are trying to run our race, find a lane…to expand our understanding of ourselves…and the world around us….

Citius, Altius, Fortius (Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger"). Hopefully, most of us are trying to be "better" tomorrow than we were yesterday..not just in running a race but as parents, as friends, in business, awareness, wisdom, in our own personal growth. We want to affirm to ourselves that we are alive, growing, and learning.

…we are trying to establish meaning….purpose…and we are trying to gain strength and belief in ourselves…

We are all running that race….we will all run until we reach the final finish line….there will be struggles and pain along the way….And, just like in the larger life, there were many people at the Finish line in Malibu----loved ones, friends, family, that were cheering the racers on….they were supporting the efforts of others….they were invested in seeing other people reach a moment of great personal satisfaction and accomplishment….It sure seems that this is the way a civilization should work….other people, strangers even (like me) cheering you on in your efforts….we are all in the race together ….it is, after all, the Human race….no one should run it alone.

I have run many races in my life on big city streets and the thing I took home from the experience, perhaps as much as the accomplishment of finishing it…was that I got to experience total strangers who had gotten out of bed and taken the time to cheer me on…Me, a total stranger to them…they had looked at me in the eye…and applauded..given me support…some had offered me water. It’s a very transcendent moment….it is the best of who we are as a society. Now, I need to be there for that person who is running their own “race”, whatever and wherever it is….

Food for thought....