Sometimes I forget the Finish Line is not the time to enjoy the Race

So on Daily Mile (for those of you not on Daily Mile, think Facebook for active people, no Farmville, or Mafia Wars either, lol), I have been nominated for the 2011 Team Daily Mile, and I submitted my video application. Now I will say this, I have since seen the other candidate’s videos and WOW! They are AWESOME!

Anyway, my point is, taking the moment to do my video submission had me doing something I rarely do, and that is thinking about the moment, not planning for tomorrow, or the next big thing.

This month I have the first leg of the Louisville Triple Crown, with the next 2 legs, being in March. In April, I will celebrate my one year as a runner, doing my first marathon. In June, I will be doing the Warrior Dash. In August, I will celebrate my oldest daughter (Super Princess) starting 1st Grade, and my (at that time, because Q will be born), middle daughter (Super Rockstar) starting Kindergarten, and I will be celebrating the birth of Q!

So for a moment, instead of visualizing the finish line in whatever race next, or what the first day of school will be like, or what Q’s birth will be like, I took a breath and thought of RIGHT NOW. I thought of, these moments of preparation, these moments of anticipatory excitement in the air for me will never be around again. Never again will I be preparing to run my first marathon. Never again, will I be looking at ultrasounds of Q, getting ready for him/her to get here. Never again, will my Super Princess have her first induction ceremony into the Daisy Scouts (Cub Scouts for the Girl Scouts). Never again, will I have my “Papi-Super Rockstar” moments in the car, because I take her to daycare, on my way to work and back, while my wife drops off our Super Princess at school.

I have been spending this past few days focusing on the wondrous joy that is Today. On how fast it flies when you are focused on a goal that can be marked on a calendar. How years from now, I will look back on these months and think how wondrous the future being unknown made those moments special.

I am thankful for so much, and grateful for all that God has blessed me with, and continue to bless me with. I take none of it for granted. The first thing I do when I wake up is say my prayers, the last thing I do before going to sleep is say my prayers.

Being up for 2011 Team Daily Mile has humbled me. I have received incredible feedback, both public and private. It has been so incredible the reception of my video submission, and I have gained friends on Daily Mile as well. Voting ends this weekend, and the 30 spots will be named. Regardless of whether I get one of those spots or not, (everyone of those videos are SO DESERVING of a spot on the team), I will be a better person for the experience. But that isn’t even my point. My point is, I should, and am trying to enjoy RIGHT NOW…the buzz and excitement and the warm reception, positive comments/notes/emails I have received. Because if I don’t make it onto the team, under NO CIRCUMSTANCE does that lesson the love that has been shown to me.

We all have goals; we all have real/proverbial finish lines we are trying to cross. But let’s not forget, it isn’t our finishing time that is important, it is the time we had finishing that makes memories.

To the positive people in my life/reading this right now? Thank you for making my journey full of wonderful life-lasting memories.

To the negative people who are reading this and ready to criticize or doubt my sincerity, or criticize the positive people I surround myself with? Consider it this way…You can Run WITH Us…..or Run FROM Us. :)

-Until The Wheels Fall Off
-Corey, The Illuminati Runner