Running on inspiration
Well, today my husband and his almost 70 yr old mother traveled to Victoria and ran the Victoria marathon. My mother in law completed it in 5 and 1/2 hours. Amazing and inspirational she is. I was recently discussing with her that i thought it was wonderful that she was reshaping the cultural norms of growing old and that that this would most definitley impress upon not only my own “stories” of aging, but for those of my children. I must give a reference to Depak chopra here and his book called Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. In his book he discusses how we perpetuate our aging stereotypes with the “stories” we tell ourselves and what we believe to be true. my mother in law defies this and proves that approaching 70 does not mean feeble, senile, unhealthy and stuck in old patterns, never to try anything new. In fact she only took up running 4 years ago and set out to run the Great Wall of China Marathon in May of 2008. She accomplished this goal crossing the finish line with her hand in her son’s (my husband) and has not stopped amazing us with her endurance, stamina and determination.
When i spoke with my husband today after his race, he informed me that for a short time he was running with a blind woman and her guide. he disclosed that his wife was blind as well and she inquired about my whereabouts. She then told him it was all about the “tether” and then she sped off with her guide finishing the 42km run long before my husband crossed the finish line. i was so impressed with this that I asked my 9 yr old daughter to take me out for a run after. But I told her not to tell Papa because just maybe we could do some running together and wouldn’t he be proud to know i had been so inspired! So off we went and ran about 1.5km. I know, i know, sounds pathetic after my family just pulled off 42, but hey, i can’t remember the last time I actually ran out on the pavement, i am blind after all! And as i crossed the finish line back across the threshold of the door, my lungs burning, my leg adducters on the verge of spasming, i felt like I had secretly completed my own little marathon. Who says I can’t? i hope that this is the first step towards a new endeavor and the satisfaction of breaking another barrier. Running on inspiration! Karyn
