Keep It Simple Stupid

It is a common mistake of some people with multiple degrees from fancy colleges and well-paying careers that keep them chained to their office desks well past dinner hour that we should pity those “less fortunate” that never made it to college but instead put in a honest day’s work for a minimum-wage salary.  However, not only do I feel that it is arrogant and elitist of a person to believe that all people should have the same values as him and that somehow a person’s life has not be successful just because he did not receive a college diploma nor ever bought a shiny, new Merecedes, but I also think sometimes that the guy who works 40 hours a week for a modest salary and spends his Sundays in his trailer drinking Budweiser while watching the race or some football may actually have it right and outsmarted us all.

I remember a college professor at UNC-Chapel Hill describing the poverty in Eastern North Carolina that he witnessed while driving to the coast shortly after he first moved to the state to teach.  He said it reminded him of the Appalachia region.  However, being from Eastern North Carolina, I can say that, generally speaking, you do not see the unabashed materialism that plagues places like South Charlotte or South of Broad in Charleston, SC.  And while those in their South Charlotte mini McMansions choose to wear everything they have (or pretend to have) on their Nordstrom-bought sleeves, a millionaire in Eastern North Carolina may very likely be living in an old, 1200 sq foot, brick ranch alongside a busy highway.

While I may come across as being critical of others, I fully admit that I too get caught up with the “need” for material things.  I do not go to the mall every weekend and spend $100 on a shirt or $300 on a pair of shoes.  Oh no – I “need” much more expensive things.  I “needed” that new shiny, stainless-steel refrigerator.  And I “need” my bathrooms renovated, solid-surface countertops in the kitchen, and new – or rather old, restored heart-of-pine flooring because the glossy, cherry wood floors that I have now are “too modern.”  Yes – I am guilty of wanting material things too.

But the threat of material things is that before too long, you will find that the things own you and not the other way around.  Shiny cars and big houses need care and attention like a kindergartener.  And we can drive ourselves crazy trying to fill all the “needs” in our life.

One of my favorite things about running is that it is probably the simplest sport there is.  While there are plenty of books and theories out there about how to run (and I certainly enjoy reading all of them!), you do not really need to be “taught” how to run.  It’s instinctual. 

I remember one early morning when I was a young girl – probably around twelve or thirteen – waking up early and deciding to just go for a run.  There was no reason.  It was not planned.  I was not a runner, and I’m not sure when I had last run before.  But something inside me that morning got me out of bed and out running.

I love that memory, because it reminds me how natural it is for us humans to run.  It also reminds me that not every run needs to be planned – or run with a Garmin watch to tell me exactly how far I’ve run and how fast I’m going.  No – most of the time, it’s best to run by feel.  Feel like running far?  Run far.  Feel like running fast?  How about sprint to that next stop sign. 

Yes – running is simple.  Life can be too.  As I struggle to check things off my to-do list and fill all the “needs” of my life, I try to re-evaluate what is actually necessary.  Half of the time I realize that I really don’t “need” something like I thought.  And while I am not there yet, I am certainly trying to get back to my Eastern North Carolina roots and remember the appreciation for a simple life.  Because when I think of the guy watching football and drinking Budweiser on a Sunday, I am a little envious of the days he gets to leave work at 5:00 pm, the modest home he will probably pay off long before the couple with the jumbo mortgage, and the relaxing Sunday he has that doesn’t involve a million chores and errands.  Yes, I think I could live that simple life – minus the Budweiser.

MCM Training Week Ten: 68 Miles

Another solid week…For the most part, my body feels good.  My most notable run this week was a threshold run where I ran 15 minutes at marathon pace, 15 minutes at half-marathon pace, and lastly 15 minutes at 10K pace with 1 minute of easy jogging in between each.  My long run this week was only 16 miles, but it contained some time at marathon pace and the remaining miles were ran at a moderate level.

This Week’s Beer Choice: Triple C Brewing Company’s Baby Maker Double IPA (Charlotte, NC)