Last weekend I was back in my hometown of Halstad Minnesota for an all school reunion. When my sister Jodi agreed to be the race director of the 5k they were having the Saturday of the reunion, she asked me if I would assist her and tasked me with coming up with a course to run. "No problem" I said. I started mapping out a course that would snake it's way through our little hometown. Past our house, the school, the nursing home and the two churches. You know, the highlights of town. Once that was done, I had to figure where we would run the other two miles. I never realized how small the town was.
As a kid, it seemed like a lot of work to ride my bike up town to get a something from the store for Mom. Last weekend, I measured it. Round trip, .34 miles. And in the winter, the sledding hill was nearly out of reach being on the other side of town. It was so far we had to take a snowmobile. We walked to Creamery Hill last weekend. It was 1.1 miles round trip. Do the hills get smaller as we get older?
A few years ago, when I started running, I dreamed about the day when I would be able to run over to my brother John's house and then back home again. It seemed like a long way to go. Round trip would be just a little over 5k.(3.1 miles) Now, some days I leave home running the opposite direction of his house and still end up running by. Did the distance get shorter?
Saturday morning after we put on a successful 5k, Jodi and I went out for a run. We ended up running the 5k course I'd set up and then to the next town and back. A distance that we didn't even like driving when I was young. Didn't seem too far to run. Or did it get closer?
Whether you are facing your first 5k or the last 3 miles of a 100 mile event, it's all a matter of perception. 3 miles is 3 miles and what seems impossible today will seem easier and shorter once you've accomplished it so go for it. It's all doable. At least that is my perception.
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