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Week 47: Forever Finding Nostalgia and New Frontiers

Welcome to midsummer! I spent yesterday in Cincinnati with cousins hanging around and having fun, so the newsletter comes out today instead!

Let’s go!

Philosophical Dad Stuff

The other day I was sitting there thinking about my father.

I was wondering what he’d think of things now. When he passed, I was just beginning my journey back to health. He would never find out how the story was going to end.

He would never know I managed to subdue destructive habits and claw my way out of my own personal gulag. He would never know this would lead to a midlife renaissance that continues to make life ever more exciting.

And he would never know that once he passed, I would try to be more like him than ever before.

As I considered these things, I found myself wishing to hear his voice. Luckily, I had the presence of mind to save a few voicemails he left me before he passed. I went searching for one, found it, and played it to hear his voice again.

This is what he said.

“Hey, I can’t see who I was calling without my glasses on, but I’m glad it was you. I’m sorry I missed you, but I love all you guys. Talk to you later.”

That was one of the last communications I would get from him before a cycle of crashes led to the eventual end.

If your parents are still around. Take videos of them. Take videos with them. Record their voices.

You’ll be glad you did later.

Couch to Ultramarathon…and Beyond

I often say that nobody cares how far I am running, and while this is absolutely true, I bring it up this week because I’m crossing new frontiers.

Even when running marathons and in clubs during my younger days, I never crossed over 50 miles (80.4km) in a week.

Until now.

It seemed like I did nothing else.

But as I thought about how it was only going to get worse, it occurred to me that it wasn’t that bad. Not at all.

Running that much “only” took me about 9 hours. We get 168 hours each week.

A time commitment, sure. But nothing egregious.

Big goals require big commitment.

It’s just how it goes. But honestly, it’s tolerable right now (I might be changing my tune if I get to the 100-mile distance next year).

I don’t get up before dawn to run, at least not often. I sometimes run late at night, but once everyone goes to bed, I’m not taking time away from my family.

Ultrarunning is a pursuit of extremes.

And yet, I don’t feel pushed to the extreme; which is great for me considering the wife I love, young children I adore, and career that matters to me.

It dawned on me that I have the luxury to chase audacious dreams without disrupting other elements of my life too much.

I exulted in this new realization. I felt like I was finally on the cusp of “figuring it all out” like I’ve always wanted to.

But on the other hand, chasing one big goal might preclude us from chasing another.

What about those big professional goals? The big creative ones? The ones where you become the perfect father (ha)? Or perfect husband (lolz)?

When we try to focus on everything, we end up focusing on nothing.

So what’s the answer when we want it all?

I suppose prioritization is the easy answer, but it doesn’t make me feel better about it.

Maybe there isn’t a way to have it all.

Unless there is. And there’s the rub.

UNLESS.

How do we become an outlier? What does it take? And at what cost?

New quest unlocked.

“If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” -Toni Morrison

Live triumphantly. See you next week.