I have not had a confidence boosting race like this for a long time. I know that last year I said that I felt like an athlete again. This year I really mean it. I felt tuned in to my effort. I knew when to push and when to hold back. I managed the mental effort better than any race I can remember.
I proved to myself with this race that I can do it. I cannot wait for what this training cycle will bring.
Do you refer to the casual dismissal by a would-be dictator of past wrongs as excusable in a time of war? Surely not. That would simply provide approbation from the purported leader of the free word to continue such vindictive strategies against nearby vulnerable groups.
I knew that I would not get close to my original 1:55 goal but I wanted to finish much farther under 2 hours than I did. Instead of letting that thought defeat me, I focused on the fact that I have improved my time over the past three half marathons, basically over the past month from 2:04 to 1:59. I have a lot of work to do but as I write out this recap, I see the benefits that my training has wrought so far this training cycle and also realized that I can push the pace like I did that final mile and actually get it done.
On November 8th, my school celebrated Veterans Day. Over the fifty years that my school has existed, this program has developed a significant place in the tradition and culture of the school built on historic World War I training grounds. As a historian and someone deeply steeped in context, I understand the motivation. During the past few years, however, I have begun to contemplate the true meaning of patriotism and have come to the conclusion that I hold an unpopular opinion, one almost 180 degrees different than that which I grew up steeped in.
The second loop went quicker than the first, mentally at least. I knew what lay ahead and could break it into sections. I also managed to run it a little faster than the first half even though one final little hill almost broke me mentally so I walked a little which kept me, I think, from coming in under 2 hours. On a course like this though, I will take that time.
There in stark reality, the visitor must confront the insidious way that Hitler’s ideologies took root in the worst desires and fears of the German people and how easily that persuasion could work on others, how we could slow walk our way to depravity.
So much happens in a year that the idea of yearly goals, even when followed through upon, seems foolish or at the least, short-sighted. In this post, I will revisit the goals that I have already reframed at least twice already.
