One Step at a Time
Do you like running?
Most people in society do not like to run even though that is physically what we were born to do very well.
No, we aren’t as fast as a cheetah, but we can run for a longer time than most other mammals.
We have the benefit of being able to sweat, and that disconnects our breath from being our coolant, freeing it up for the act of gas exchange.
The benefits of running are numerous, namely the boost in mood and the impact on stress I think is very important in these stressful, uncertain times.
Running can and will give a natural high to the runner.
The difference is the drugs come from the body instead of from outside of the body.
Just on Wednesday, I attempted a 24-hour running event with my good friend Jay.
The event was called the Hype 100.
The purpose of the event is to raise awareness about drug addiction, and running is a way for us to sacrifice a portion of our comfort, and in the case of this event, a degree of safety in order to get a hint of the dark hole that addicts are living in.
In this way, we can relate to some degree, to the pain and suffering an addict endures. As the challenge of staying on the task of running, keeping warm, bathroom breaks, and fueling appropriately becomes more difficult to achieve because of fatigue and sleep deprivation, we can find the light in the dark of the night, which is the infallibility and the determination of the human spirit.
The people that become addicted to drugs have a deeper issue that led them to the drug in the first place. It may be pain + the cost of prescription medication that leads one to find a cheaper, street alternative like heroin.
It may be to escape from the reality of dysfunctional families as a kid with no guidance in the world, so malleable and easily influenced that leads down a similar path.
These people are not aware of what they are getting into before they make their decisions, and once they have, it is immensely difficult to change course, but it is possible.
Anyway, as I write this my legs kind of feel like they got beaten by a bat, but they are just fine and I can be a little dramatic.
It was very hard, in the beginning, Jay and I were on track for 120 miles between the two of us, and we were running an average of 5 miles at a time, tagging each other in at predetermined points along the McDade Recreational Trail in and near Pike and Monroe County in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Very quickly my legs were tired, as I was not as trained as I should have been for running for 24 hours in temperatures that varied from 32 degrees to 19 degrees Fahrenheit. 2020 has been a difficult year for us all.
In 24 Hours Jay and I traveled 80+ miles on foot, and we could not have done it without our trail mothers — Shawn, and Noelle. They made sure we did not hurt ourselves and were a pleasure to be around despite being confined to a vehicle for a 24-hour time frame.
Matt, Ellie, Amy, and Jim, came out and support us through running and keeping us good company. I am grateful and I am sure Jay is too.
I will write more about this but I wanted to get the word out on this platform for anyone who wants to donate to the cause, and also who would be interested in helping out and/or participating next year.
Typically the event happens in late November but is subject to change.
This year it almost did not happen due to the pandemic and general life stressors, but we did it.
I believe that adversity can make us stronger if we can seek strength from it, I also know that whatever is unbearable at the moment, is actually bearable because you are doing the act of bearing it as you read this.
If you want to learn more about the event and would like to donate, visit the website here.
Momento Mori
