Comebacks,pt.2

"Nothing seems more appealing and easier than considering a running comeback over a few beers." I wrote the above several years ago in one of the articles for The Stotan News. I suppose I could add to this quote that what you hope to achieve in a comeback increases in appeal and ease as your consumption of beer increases.I don't know about you but I have set many goals and planned several comebacks over the years. Some have pertained to achieving a specific time in an event while others have related to running more mileage. For various reasons,more often than not, I have not achieved these goals. The beauty of it all for those of us who live for the run, is that our love of running and the process of attempting to reach those goals more than makes up for falling short of them. I have seen many runners over the decades,runners who are very talented, quit running because they did not reach their self-imposed goals. Two obvious conclusions can be drawn from this: #1. they put too much importance on achieving these goals,#2.they ran for reasons other than just the pleasure of running. Now I don't want to sound like "the Penguin" but it really is too bad any time a runner gives it up because he believes he's fallen short of his aspirations.Let's put things in proper perspective,for the majority of us we will not be toeing the starting line at the upcoming Olympic trials. So why are we allowing ourselves to become neurotic,obsessed and ultimately discouraged because we didn't hit such and such a time or finish in this or that place? Racing performance should never be allowed to destroy our love of running!
Perhaps I digress but this brings us to what this post was supposed to be about today,comebacks. How 'bout you? Have you drifted away from something you once thought would always be an integral part of your life? I'm speaking of running here. Have you allowed yourself to be drawn away from running because of certain "things" that you have placed far too much importance in? Do you feel a twinge of regret when you think back to the days when you were "into it"? How do you feel when you see a runner going by? You know what I'm getting at,if you feel the regret or you think wistfully back to the days when you ran,you know that you're prime for a comeback. Ultimately,running is a profoundly healthy activity,you owe it to your loved ones to stay healthy so you need to make a comeback.For those who contend that they don't have the time I suggest two things,#1. turn off that box called the television and you'll suddenly find you have the time, #2. make the time because the physical health you attain from running brings a type of peace and happiness unattainable by any other means.
And for those of you who are still running but feel you are drifting away, I say this,set some new goals like increasing your mileage or entering certain races or training over new courses and terrains.Always keep in mind this essential point though,never let any goal you have set sabotage your love for the purest of all sports,running.

Tommorrow I will offer a few suggestions to those who are beginning a comeback. For anyone who may be interested I have started a Stotan Runners page on Facebook.