They really ought to call this a different dwarf’s challenge — today it was far more appropriate for me to call it the Sleepy Challenge! Man, I was just physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted today. Not sure if it was the toll of four super early starts or something grander but I struggled mightily in the back half of today’s marathon. I’m trying to rationalize the clock time and chaotically worse split times that I was stopping for photos but realistically, I just had a bad clock day. But I had a good time from the experience standpoint. Got some great photos to be sure, and I owe a debt of thanks to fellow Team Pizza Racer runner Nick Tarvin (who was also a photo stop aficionado!). Nick pulled me through many a mile today. I eventually had to tell him (over his many objections) to take off and finish strong as he was looking great and I was looking, well, not. An Iron Man through and through — congrats to him on his PR and thanks to him for his help out there.
Which brings up a quick “blog” post topic. Egads, I can’t believe I’m using the phrase “blog.” Is that still a thing? Do people still call them blogs? I kinda hate the term. Not sure why but it just seems so… meh. Far from literary and artistic or insightful that analysis but cut me some slack — I just finished my fourth race in four days and I’m struggling still!
So anyway, the aforementioned topic for today. Sometimes it’s great to run with somebody else. They can inspire and motivate you when you’re struggling. But it’s also okay to “break up the band” if one of you is having a better or worse day. I often want to run with my brother but I know he sometimes feels like he’s holding me back from my preferred pace. I hope he knows that the days I’m lucky enough to run with him, I’m usually less concerned with my clock time and more concerned about his and our shared experience. But I also get that there are times when you don’t want anybody around and you just need to be alone and grind out the miles. It’s a fine line but like any relationship, the key is communication — just be honest and say, “Hey! I really need you to stick with me for now” or “Hey! I really need to take off and do my own thing.” It’s nothing personal for/against the other person. It’s personal for you — there are easier days and tougher days and you never quite know what the day is going to be until you’re in the thick of it.
Besides struggling with the post-marathon-ness of today, I’m still not sure what I’m doing with this “blog.” Is it a motivational thing? A confessional? Some weird pseudo-diary? An attempt to document life on the road? I don’t know. Maybe I never will. But pondering the meaning of it, and life, is not a bad thing I suppose. Better to be thinking and considering than just floating through. Albeit don’t they say ignorance is bliss?
Double egads. What a mess I am today! Advil, Diet Coke, and hopefully a good night’s sleep will win the day. Meantime, run on and here’s a few photos from today’s (mis)adventures in Disney World!
