Respect your idols, but focus on YOUR dreams

People inspire us.  They motivate us.  Captivate us.  We become obsessed to model our lives after them.  To be like them.  Be it a parent, sports persona, celebrity, musician, teacher, or deity. 

 

"We all have dreams.  In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort." -Jesse Owens-

Often times we find them in some of our darkest moments and something about them aids in rescuing us from the prison of our minds.  Be it to take an action to change our living situation, health, finances, escape a hostile relationship, or other.  They become the catalyst of change.  

Intentionally or not, they often also become the benchmark upon which we measure our growth.  We chase after them.  We read the books they read.  We model ourselves to their standard.  And for a time, it works.  Until you find the faults within that keeps you from being greater.  For being better.  For being...  Well....  Them.  

As I was running tonight I thought about one of my childhood idols who ended up shaping 20+ years of my life.  And lessons I learned chasing after my idol stay with me until this very day.  

I was a horrible drummer.  Drum rhythm was NOT my thing.  Actually being a drummer was someone else's thing.  But it wasn't me.  I'm not saying I couldn't persevere and become better and polished.  I wasn't motivated because it wasn't my dream.  However I did love music and I enjoyed being in the school band.  

My band director helped me with this transition.  I wanted to play trumpet, but I didn't have the lips for it, nor the patience.  Somehow I ended up in the seventh grade learning Saxophone.  I found jazz shortly thereafter through a family friend.  Which lead me to David Sanborn.  

It was late one Friday night.  The Quiet Storm hour.  The course of the next 12 years wouldn't be the same.  

I learned every song on his album that was out at the time.  My signature lick for fast pace songs came from that album.  It would be my "crutch".  I had to have a mouthpiece like him.  I learned to play on harder reeds because of him.  I pushed and pushed and pushed.  

The first composition I transposed was the first song I heard of his, so I learned all I could.  I ended up having one of my majors because of him.  

But I started seeing the weaknesses in my play and the differences in the sounds in my head versus the licks he laid down.  

I was coming up short.  I was no David Sanborn

Fortunately it was also the era of Kenny G and all the wedding folks wanted one of his tracks played at their weddings.  I had to earn money.  My grandparents bought me a soprano.  

I then failed one of my music classes.  I was devastated.  I was no David Sanborn.  But I was me.  Thus the transition.  Tenor and Soprano were more in tune with the sounds in my head.  They were, for me, easier to play.  David Sanborn was a speedster.  I enjoyed laying back in the groove and disappearing into the sound.  

I learned it was okay to simply be me.  To develop and master my sound.  My style.  My technique and let my idol go, while still respecting his style and sound.  

So what does this have to do with running?  Everything.  

Your body isn't the body of the person who inspires you.  Your metabolism is different.  Your finances are different.  They may have a personal chef tailoring every meal to the specifics of their frame and blood type.  They have limitations you don't have and you have limitations they don't.  

When I got into running, I saw all these people around me doing phenomenal things.  Here I couldn't even run 20 yards when I started.  

As I graduated to longer distances, people continued to inspire me.  People in their 70s running marathons!  Faster than me!  

I wanted to know what shoes they were running in?  How much water they were taking in?  What fuels and gels they were using?  What recovery methods they used?

But the lesson I had learned years ago to develop my sound, was still with me.  So I knew to respect those who inspire me.  To acknowledge the talents of my Arizona idols.  But understand the runner in me was unique and whilst I could use them to push me further, I had to be open to the shift and the change to be the runner I am. 

The shoes that work for some didn't work for me.  I remember the blisters I suffered when trying to run in shoes that were recommended to me.  Truly there had to be a better way. 

I've shared a time or two a video of people completing the Ironman inspired me so I found myself with tears falling from my eyes.  [allergies].  So I thought I would be a road runner.  I thought speed would be my thing.  I had the body "type", but my body, didn't like the speed or the torture of the concrete at the time.  The trails would be where I would find my emotional, mental, and physical peace.  

I would find my "Ironself" at the finish of ultra-marathons. 

Over the years, I've learned what works with my body.  What foods I can consume when I'm pushing myself.  What shoes to wear during different phases of my training or loads on my body.  Clothing that won't chaff the neither regions.  Socks that wouldn't give me blisters.  How much water my body can go without!  And the fact I can't stand pickles or pickle juice!  Yet so many around me swears by it.  Good for them.  

I do get tired.  I do want to give up from time to time.  But there is so much beauty and mental peace in pushing my body further than I ever thought possible.  Definitely a beautiful painful process.  

In short, similar to my childhood musical idol I had to respect the runners who inspire me and idols for me, but stay focused on "MY" dreams to become the best runner "I" can be.  

Your idols are treasures of information and simply a bridge to where "YOU" need to be at that moment in time.  Respect them.  But your dreams need you and you will need YOUR dreams in order to push through the tough moments when you want to give up on YOUR dreams.  

Easy to fail an idol, but harder to give up on yourself when your life depends on it. Because your dreams depend on it.  Remember it's never too late to start.  I don't care if you are 70 years old.  

There's a 70 year old person, learning a new language, starting a new diet, and many running for the first time.  

Long story to get to that point.  But I felt compelled to share, so I don't know who needed to hear this.  But focus and chase after YOUR dreams.  Start today.  

And no, I no longer have the ambition to complete an Ironman.  But I do want to complete this next 100 miler coming up later this year.  I'm driven to overcome that hell of a run, but I got to get through this hellish month of training first. 

With that I leave you with the song that inspired me on my journey through it all.