Run Well

"Run well the race that is set before you."  This is a quote used by athletes and coaches, by preachers, teachers, and commencement speakers.  Why?   I certainly am not an athlete, but I've learned a few things from son, who is.  He is the runner in the picture above; his physique was chiseled not only from running, but also from biking, swimming, mountain climbing, skiing, and general training in our country's Marine Corps where he now has the rank of Captain.  These days, he often has more to teach me than I have to teach him.  I've learned that it sometimes helps to read about running, but that reading about it isn't going to help very much.  I've learned that running a race doesn't mean you just start running on race day; you prepare with healthy habits and training nearly every day.  I've also learned that you have to know where the finish line is, and the best way to get there.  It helps to learn the terrain, the expected weather conditions, how you will be judged, and what kind of competition you have.  And yet, some do not run to win first prize, but only to do their personal best.  Why do we talk about running?  Simply because running is life.  There's a beginning and an end, and as much as we can possibly control, we are responsible for what happens between that beginning and end.  Whether our life is 10 years or 100 years, it is "ours".  Do we know and do our "personal best"?  Running a  life is a big responsibility.  Let us run well, my friends.