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When you are the parent of the child with special needs you gain a certain perspective on the concept of achievement. You learn to celebrate the ordinary, the mundane, the trivial milestones, because when you are a parent of a child with special needs, you know that in some cases, the ordinary becomes extraordinary – the words “I love you” passing over the lips of your daughters, a genuine hug of comfort, an extended moment of eye contact – all of these things that we take for granted with our neuro-typical children take on a much greater weight.
When I look at runners, talk to runners, read posts by runners, I wonder if they understand that they too are extraordinary.
Recently there was a bit of a brouhaha online about a certain runner who attempts to inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle. Some of the more serious accusations thrown at her aside, one that particularly irked me was that she is just a middle of the pack runner, even slower by other people’s standards – that it was no big deal that she ran 52.4 miles (or 100 for that matter) in one day, that her training mileage was mundane compared to other, “real” ultra-marathoners.
It wasn’t that I felt she needed defending. She can take care of herself. What bothered me was that the idea of running 50 miles in a day, or biking 200 miles in 3 days, or running 40 miles a week was nothing to celebrate because it wasn’t serious enough.
It takes away from the “extraordinary” that every day runners do every day.
- If you get up in the morning and run, you are extraordinary – I don’t care if it’s 3 miles or 15 miles. How many people hit the snooze button and are now “running” late for work?
- If you strapped on your running shoes during your lunch break, you are extraordinary – how many of your co-workers are stuffing their faces with a meatball grinder while you sweat out a quick 5-miler?
- If you put in a short run after work, you are extraordinary – too many people are managing the stress of the day with a bourbon at the local watering hole instead of a run.
- If you prepared for bed with a run after putting the kids to bed, you are extraordinary – how many of your fellow parents crash into their own beds or onto the couch after the kiddies are asleep?
- If you have entered a footrace of any distance, you are extraordinary – how many people have said to you, I wish I could do that.
- If you have run a marathon, no matter what the time, you are extraordinary – you are part of an exclusive club (around 0.1% of the population)!
Runners like Scott Jurek, Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher are all truly extraordinary. Their feats are incredible, but here’s the thing, they obviously have physical gifts that you and I do not have. I am truly impressed by what they are able to accomplish, but I am always more impressed with those of you who live every day lives, working towards keeping a roof over your heads and keeping your children fed yet still manage to find the time to run.
I know elitists exist in any group of significant size – those that believe they are innately better because they are faster or stronger. There are runners that are faster and stronger. That shouldn’t minimize or trivialize the accomplishments of the rest of the community – just like those of us with special needs should not be marginalized or trivialized in society.
Did you, will you run today?
Yes?
Then YOU are extraordinary. Don’t let anybody tell you different.
Love it!
Thanks!
Thank you!
You are very welcome…but thank you as well!
Luau:
Good timing for me to read this for personal and running reasons. You are correct. Any of us who chose healthy options over doing nothing IS EXTRAORDINARY. I have struggled to write my latest triathlon race blog write-up because over the same weekend, I had a number of friends run the Leadville 100. While I was proud of what I did in only my second TRI, I felt inadequate or inferior to the badasses that ran 100 frickin’ miles. That’s B.S. Thanks dude.
Ty
http://www.seekingbostonmarathon.com/
That is BS my friend! You are a Bad Ass as well! Don’t forget it!
I guess I’m extraordinary! Thanks for the ego boost 🙂 It’s also extraordinary to inspire others like you do.
Thanks bud! And yes, you are extraordinary!
Fantastic!
🙂
Let me be the first (of many I’m sure) to state the obvious, YOU are EXTRAORDINARY!
Aw, thanks Sheila!
I can’t do it until the work day is over, but I can’t wait to post this link to my Facebook page. I can’t tell you the number of times I have repeated “one step at a time,” or “you have to start somewhere,” or “make the time” to someone who has doubted that walking a mile or running a 5K in 45:00 or anything not “elite” would matter. I can’t think of a better way to say that “it matters” than you did in this post. From a 36:00 5K’er who has brought in the rear of my share of races, THANK YOU.
Thanks Paula!
Thank you for writing this!! I really came upon this as a charity runner for the Boston marathon. I have been a runner for six years and I just wanted to run one marathon. I knew I would not qualify due to my running abilities and a long list of injuries. We all run for different reasons.
Charity runners for Boston hold a special place in my heart. You guys work double time between the training and the fund raising!
Thank you Luau. This one really touched my heart and hit home. We are blessed by the challenges in our lives because we have loving compassionate hearts.
Exactly! Thank you Mary!
I was never going to be drafted into the NHL, yet I still went out and played hockey every day for 18 seasons and through college (and have now been a referee for 10 years). And loved it.
I’m never going to set a marathon world record, or break a 3.5-hour marathon (heck, I’m just hoping to break 4), or finish on the podium of the Olympics, but I compete with myself. And I definitely know after 1.5 years of running that it absolutely takes something special to get out of bed and hit the pavement every morning.
I smile at everyone I pass when I run: the bikers, walkers, shufflers, speedsters, and more. I’m proud of them all, and I celebrate their amazing-ness!
I celebrate their amazing-ness!
I love that!
as the daughter of a high school football referee – i know you guys are under-appreciated. thank you!
Luau, once again you are far more eloquent than I in expressing your disappointment and/or disgust with things. As you know, I made a stand on this issue as well, I only wish I could’ve written a similar blog post. It never ceases to amaze me how the running community can be so amazing and yet turn on one of it’s own so quickly.
Someone who is training for these events while advocating for healthy lifestyle choices, the children’s obesity epidemic, being an ambassador and spokesperson for running in general, and is good at marketing themselves, should be admired and encouraged in their efforts because it makes us all look good.
This whole brouhaha reminds me of what certain members of the running community did to the likes of Dean Karnazes and even Charlie Engle (from Running the Sahara). I read some of the message boards and they were just full of haters, people who were obviously jealous and intent only on putting down her accomplishments. As-if a 100-mile finish in 24 hours was something not worthy of note. Or that the “Double Boston” didn’t count because it wasn’t even an “official” race (and one person went so far as to say it was her attempt to “justify” what she knew was going to be a “bad race” because she had put on 30 pounds since “barely qualifying”), not to mention the several 50-mile finishes and the thousands of kids she’s spoken too and inspired to get active all around the country.
I’ve become close to her over the past year, we’ve often talked on the phone and via text message about issues that we’re having in our lives, usually related to training or things happening in the “running community.” She’s been an endless source of inspiration, motivation and support. It saddens me that people are going so far to attack her. She called me up to let me know she may not make it to Vermont because of all of this, and I gave her one of my famous kick in the pants pep-talks and she registered that day. Only to call me up a week later to tell me she’d had sponsors pull back because of all of this (one of whom hadn’t paid her in three months anyway) and is in an even worse financial position than she was… now Vermont seems even less likely for her.
I’m hoping and praying that she re-organizes, re-energizes and gets back on the horse. It would be a very sad day if our running community lost such an amazing advocate and ambassador because of the actions of a few jealous, spiteful and small-minded individuals in that community. Ridiculous.
Thank you for honoring the COMMITMENT of average runners everywhere. You are also and awesome advocate and ambassador for our sport!
Thanks Doug. Hopefully she comes back better and stronger for it.
I ran 13 fast miles last night then 5 slow miles this morning before work with a friend. Then 2 sessions of ‘Insanity’. 🙂 x x good post luau x
Nicely done!
so very well said! as the dad of an “extraordinary” boy (2 actually – and both are extraordinary) with Asperger’s (Josh) I completely understand where you are coming from with what you consider extraordinary – its the small things that before our Asperger’s journey we took for granted that are truly amazing… I ran my first marathon in July and doing an Ironman in May… its amazing what you can achieve when you set you mind to it… Your blog is inspiring me to get my blog going to be another voice in the pack for our extraordinary kids! Hope you don’t mind but I’ve included a link to the blog page we have set up for my son Josh’s surfing – we think what he has achieved in doing this is out of this world… http://perfectwavegallery.wordpress.com/
thanks! cheers Paul
I just checked out the link. I wish I could do what he does. Very cool!
You made me cry b/c let’s face it, I am the slowest of slow runners (although I have gotten over that by now). You Luau, are extraordinary, too.
Thanks Mommy Mo…and just remember, there’s always someone slower than you…and even if you are the slowest, there are millions who are not even getting their collective butts of the couch.
i’ll never forget that feeling I had when my husband beat me at the Mountain Man Memorial March. It was 26.2 miles of walking…and he beat me by over an hour. With no training. No exercise at all the entire month previously.
I contiplated giving up once I knew he was already done. As I felt sorry for myself around the 20 mile marker – sent a text to my race buddies about how “unremarkable” him beating me made me feel.
I was about to complete 26.2 miles (with little training myself) and I felt unremarkable. Shame on him for saying walking a marathon was no big deal and shame on me for believing him!
I just looked up the Mountain Man Memorial March – run or walk, that looks like a tough 26.2 miles. Walking 26.2 miles is tough enough…doing it through the Smokey Mountains? Extraordinary!
A-to-the-men!!!
This is inspirational for me for sure. For the run I will do tonight and the half marathon I plan to train for….
And your words mean a lot to me because I am SO not the fastest runner And I “fight” for pretty much every mile since I’m not a “natural” runner either.
So, thanks for this, really. 🙂
Don’t forget to thank yourself too! YOU are the one who has the discipline to put one foot in front of the other – it all starts in you.
Mommy Mo led me here. Great post, thanks for the encouragement.
Thank you for the visit!
This post? Extraordinary. Thank you for this. I never run faster than ten minute miles. I’ve never ran more than 4.5 miles, but three mornings a week, I get up and run. Two of those mornings, my alarm goes off at 4:50 in the morning. I run the streets while it’s still pitch black and houses are dark, just so I can get it done before work. Still, I sometimes doubt myself as a runner. I’m not a marathoner or hell, even a 10k’er, but that’s okay.Thank you for the reminder to love myself for putting on my shoes and heading out the door.
Thank you Erin! Pre-dawn running – it’s like starting the day with extra money in the bank.
Absolutely brilliant. Thank you for writing this.
Thank you!
I could not agree more! I love getting your posts in my email because you my friend know how to make sense. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Jimmy!
Terrific post! More of us need to see just how extraordinary we are. I will remember this next time I feel like not lacing up my shoes and getting out there. I always feel like a faux runner since I walk/jog. Thanks for making me feel extraordinary.
Walk, jog, run…if you are out there hitting the pavement or the dirt trail, you are extraordinary! Thanks Roo!
Well said. That’s for the compliment. I love to run and I try to make it a point to not compromise my time with my family so I run in the mornings.