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Dave Griffin On Running
The Carroll County Times – Sunday, June 7, 2009
She was moments away from crossing the finish line she’d been dreaming about for years. She could see the final turn just ahead and hear the cheers rising from the people crowding the street around the bend.
She thought about how long it had taken to get to this point and how, for a long time, she had resisted any urge to run at all. A friend finally convinced her to try, and she’ll remain forever grateful.
The very first time she ran it was just to the end of the street and back. She was surprised by how quickly it began to hurt and doubted almost immediately that she was capable. She isn’t sure how she kept running that day, but attributes it to a stubborn streak she shows sometimes. When she finally got back to the house she simply collapsed on her front yard. It was only the worry about who might be watching that motivated her to struggled back to her feet.
Every run since then had been easier. The simple act of finishing one short run had given her the confidence to believe that she could go farther.
She rounded the turn and saw the finish line banner in the distance. The emotion was overwhelming and the fatigue that slowed her moments before was somehow gone now. She felt her tempo begin to quicken but then decided, no, I’m going to enjoy every minute of this.
She wondered if anyone could understand how important this was. Until recently, she rarely finished what she started. It had gotten to the point where she wouldn’t start anything important because she’d lost faith in herself. “Why begin something you can’t finish,” she would think.
Running had gotten her past that. It assured her. She could do something most everyone else wouldn’t even try and, for the first time in her life, she was actually proud of herself.
The blare of the crowd muffled every other sound and she began looking at the faces. She caught the glances of people smiling as they cheered her and couldn’t imagine ever feeling more encouraged.
In the final moments, her arms danced in the air as if she were winning the New York Marathon. She crossed the line, slowed to a walk, and spent the next few minutes sharing the experience with the man in front of her as if they were anything but strangers.
There was a peaceful contentment about the rest of the day, and as the emotion turned to reflection she realized that what had just happened was as much a beginning as it was an ending.
No longer would she wait on the affirmation of others. She could affirm herself. Circumstance wasn’t going to control her life anymore. She had the faith to create her own vision and the strength to see it through.
New beginnings would be filled with anticipation, not apprehension, confidence, not doubt. And every finish line would be a glorious place, reached only after she found the courage to start.