Lake Effect
by Brian D. Meeks
Chapter 32 Day 32
Twenty six miles three hundred and eighty five yards is a long ways to run. Something about the legendary distance has called to runners for generations, it is a symbol of achievement that instantly recognizable. Everybody knows how hard it is to run for any sort of distance and only a few can complete a marathon.
Eddie Izzard, actor, and brilliant comedian, set out on his own quest to run 27 marathons in 27 days, to honor Nelson Mandela. Three days ago, after four days of punishing his body, medical experts in South Africa, made him stop running. He was urinating blood. He intends to continue and complete the marathons, but for now, must recover.
This puts Steve’s thirty-two days into perspective. It is a combination of preparation, extensive training, mental toughness, and having Jarred as a wingman. More than that, though, it is about having a dream and being one of those rare people who isn’t afraid to chase it.
Dream chasing can be a matter of perspective. Getting the facts pounded into a reality that can be lived with, is the first step. Steve is now eight days from Navy Pier, Chicago, and achieving his most ambitious challenge. The news about uncle Mike has forced him to get his head straight, to focus, and reconcile all the emotions that come with the realization that soon he will be gone.
Over the course of his day, he thought mostly about Mike and when it was done, wrote, ” Cancer never wins!!! It may seem so at first glance. It is a devastating disease. Today as I ran I thought about this. It can take the physical body, but it can’t touch the REAL stuff. It cannot touch the soul. It cannot touch the essence if a person. It is a sad day when someone we love is physically removed from our lives. However, that is where Cancer ends. I say to heck with you Cancer. You will never be able to touch the real stuff. Someday you will be gone, a distant memory no one will care about. The love and memories of those you have taken too soon will remain forever. You lose!!!”
So, maybe we should be looking for our own Lake Michigan. Steve wondered if he could run eleven marathons and cross Iowa, and then he did it. Once that was done, the list of insurmountable challenges shrunk considerably. That is the beauty of pushing oneself beyond what the mind says we can’t do. After we’ve won, a new world opens up, and the question becomes, where to from here.
Many people have left comments supporting Steve. They speak of inspiration and tonight I ask, what will you do?
Is it a book that you’ve been dying to write? Then write it, one day at a time, adding 500 or 1000 words before you go to bed, and eventually it take you to the last chapter.
Do you want to get back your girlish figure? Go for a walk. Then, go for another, but a bit farther.
Want to learn to cook? Take a class, learn how to roll your own tortellini and make an Alfredo sauce that is to die for, then call Steve, Jarred and I. We’ll be glad to help you eat it.
Life is so precious, the days we have remaining so uncertain, it would be a shame not to experience the joy of surprising yourself.
I ask again, what will you do? Leave a comment so we can cheer you on to your own Navy Pier.
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Funny – I was asked this same question by a bearded moose the other day.
And I told him that I want to fight very hard to be me – not some idea of who I should be or what others think I ought to be. Too vague? The moose seemed to agree it is a worthy goal.
This is just a great post. Thanks for the challenge and keep doing what you do so well!
That sounds like the beginning of a wonderful story. I’d love to read it, so you better get writing.
Thought of you often today…funny how that happens. Hope you are running into the REAL ANgela more and more each day!!
ok here goes…I turn 50 November 17th. I have thought about sticking my head under a pillow and letting the day just go by but decided that wouldn’t be much fun. So I am going to run Living History Farms and then do Survivor Cross. So there had better be a survivor Cross Mr Cannon!
oh there will be and NOW ur committed