The change of month is upon us once again and we often ask where does the time go? It goes into the adventure of living. Are you adventuring or are you running alongside others, racing, in frenzy and confusion? Measuring yourself against those beside you can be exhausting. What is racing vs. adventuring.
April 30 was my first race of the year. It is labelled as a race and that is how it is sold, packaged and marketed, yet, it is not what I call it. I call them adventures. A chance to see what I can do and how far I can press my own limits. I remember the first days when I would cross a finish line throwing up because I had “raced” instead of adventuring. This adventure was 12.5 km through the hardwood hills of Horseshoe Valley. While the remnants of the ski season were there in the shadows, a section of snow hither and yon, the lifts were quiet and the grasses were flat. Over the hills and into the valleys, pushing up one side and then down the other, it was an adventure of epic proportions. I loved it.
The loop, coordinated by the organizers, flagged with pink, was the journey of the morning. We lined up at 0900 hours and at the sound of the horn crossed the electronic mat. The timing chip on our numbered bib starting our own personal clock. As I left with the masses of other 12.5 K runners the pace seemed set. That said, people soon began to fall into their own rhythm, their own step, as did I.
This adventure was unexpected because it was one I had set up prior to the great deferral of 2020. The summer of 2020 I had run the 12.5 km on my own, reporting it and receiving the kudos and the socks! Thought it was behind me. Then last week I received an email letting me know it was only one week to race day! A little inquiry and I realized I had seven days until I needed to cover 12.5 km; could I, would I, over the rocks? Could I, would I, when I had already got the socks?
This past week I read to a client, from Christian text, these words, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” and I realized, I was ready for this adventure. I would persevere through the 12.5 km and finish when I finished. Adventure in life is just that, adventure. When we focus on how and when we will “finish” we take the fun out of the adventure itself. Life is about stepping up to adventure when it presents itself, knowing the adventure itself will mature and grow us. When we adventure, we do not fail nor are we unsuccessful unless we have human measurement as our gauge. When we adventure, we get results and that gives us food for thought, memories and stories to tell.
This adventure took me 2:06 hours. I could have done it in under two hours if I had not taken some video, enjoyed the view, snapped a few pictures. I could have finished faster if I had not chatted with a new friend, cheated and took a short cut, and stopped to chat with the people at the aid station. This 12.5 km adventure was nothing more than more steps on my journey. I was only “racing” against myself and it fed my desire to milk every joy out of life. It is not about finishing in less than two hours; it is about the trail itself.
I finished third! Isn’t that amazing? I was so excited. Now I will tell you that I finished third in my category (F60-64) and there were three of us qualifying within those parameters! The new friend I chatted with was on his second of four 12.5 km loops. If I was to measure my travels against others, I would always feel less than. I would rather find joy in just being third … no matter what third I am measuring.
Cynthia Breadner is a teacher, author, grief specialist and bereavement counsellor; a soul care worker and offers specialized care in spiritually integrated therapies. She works as a LTC chaplain assisting with end-of-life care for client and family. She is the mother part of the #DanCynAdventures duo and practices fitness, health and wellness. She is available remotely by safe and secure video connections, if you have any questions contact her today! [email protected] breakingstibah.com
