Day 7 -- The ORF--Being There Then.
I've always known intuitively that running is for me the most reliable method I have of dwelling in the here and now. Paradoxically, sometimes being most solidly in the present happens when I'm running and my mind is wandering about in the past and/or the future. Not sure how that works, but it may have to do with allowing my thoughts to be real, that is, to be unstructured and non-purposeful, to come and go as they will.
But up until today it hadn't occurred to me that witnessing running could also be a means of being wonderfully present.
I believe I've mentioned before that I was registered to run the Half Marathon and to pace a training group for it but had to give up on all that when I injured and then re-injured some vital body parts. Even though I couldn't run, however, I still wanted to suck what enjoyment I could from the whole training-for--and-running-a-big-race-in-my-home-area phenomenon. So, as chronicled in various earlier blog posts, I spent some time corrupting the runners in their process of getting fit by giving them drugs (also known as chocolate pretzels) during their training runs.
Somehow it seemed like a natural segue from handing out goodies at training runs to standing on the course today, on race day, in an orange shirt while clapping and yelling "YOU ROCK" as the runners loped by my position. What I didn't expect was to find it was so fun.
I believe that the joy I've experienced during my involvement as a volunteer in this whole thing has been very grounding. I've forgotten to crab at myself or at others. I've neglected to be envious or mean-spirited. All I've wanted has been for others to succeed and for me to feel good. And after this day, I'm happy to say, missions accomplished!
But up until today it hadn't occurred to me that witnessing running could also be a means of being wonderfully present.
This morning Z and I went on down to West Oakland to spend some time as course marshals at the Oakland Running Festival. (As illustrated by Z's pose here, we had a few moments before the race started to scan the empty streets and wonder "are the runners coming??" And then, they did.)
I believe I've mentioned before that I was registered to run the Half Marathon and to pace a training group for it but had to give up on all that when I injured and then re-injured some vital body parts. Even though I couldn't run, however, I still wanted to suck what enjoyment I could from the whole training-for--and-running-a-big-race-in-my-home-area phenomenon. So, as chronicled in various earlier blog posts, I spent some time corrupting the runners in their process of getting fit by giving them drugs (also known as chocolate pretzels) during their training runs.
Somehow it seemed like a natural segue from handing out goodies at training runs to standing on the course today, on race day, in an orange shirt while clapping and yelling "YOU ROCK" as the runners loped by my position. What I didn't expect was to find it was so fun.
I believe that the joy I've experienced during my involvement as a volunteer in this whole thing has been very grounding. I've forgotten to crab at myself or at others. I've neglected to be envious or mean-spirited. All I've wanted has been for others to succeed and for me to feel good. And after this day, I'm happy to say, missions accomplished!
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