The Hill

This last summer we came into it with a rather heavy feeling being that I had just lost my Mom to Cancer. There was much to get done and lined up for the summer to happen and at times we just wanted to crawl under a rock. The summer did come, it had to happen, and we had the simple desicion as to just get on board, make the best of it and have fun, and actually that’s what happened. We were blessed a great staff year and they would seem to be the blessed crew that at times pulled me through the summer and often made me laugh and to look at life in a simpler way. Cesar has been working with us for two years now and he also a very accomplished bike rider and has a WALL full of trophy’s to prove it. Cesar needs to always be in shape and so one afternoon the guy approached me and invited me to run with them,,,all 4 of them. The first couple days we stuck to simply running down a long road and running back, then it went to two trips up and back. Being the “Old Guy” I did OK and usually stayed in the middle of the pack, but extremely tired and winded at the end of each run. Then one day Cesar, who I now called “Coach” informed me of the new route that was a bit longer, but involved “A Hill”. This hill had a path but was riddled with rocks, trash, broken bottles, and at times it was a bit muddy. There were steps at the top, but they were dug out of the dirt, so they lacked definition and stability due to the dirt.

This run was actually not that long, just under 2 miles and by the end of summer I was no longer at the end of the pack, but at the front and I usually felt pretty good by the time I got to the bottom of The Hill. One day one of the young guys, Fernando, said he felt a bit frustrated because he realized that by not consistently running he had lost his rhythm and pace and could not catch me, which was funny because I told him that’s what was going to happen. At the base of The Hill we usually caught our breath and mentally got ready for the run upwards. I’d start off slow and eventually I’d try to speed up and make my last push, but for some reason my legs would give way at 2/3rds of the way up and I’d have to stop for a second or two and them finish up, needless to say that This Hill really wore me out. It was my goal to be able to run up The Hill all the way, and sad to say I was only able to do it 2 or 3 times,,,Frustrating and I wrestled with this frustration all summer long.

So the run to the hill and UP The Hill in many ways reflected my feelings, thoughts, and attitudes toward my Summer of 2010. I had a bit of fear, or uncertanty as to how it would go and as I looked at the schedule and how we were going to get it all done. I knew I just needed to keep running and to feel secure of where I place my feet, meaning I had to take one day at a time, plan as best I could with what was in front of me and Trust in the Lord. Know there is a purpose, Know there is a plan, and Know that there is a top to The Hill, a place to rest,,,a Finish Line if you will.

Reaching the end of summer was like getting to the top of The Hill, we were very tired, but there was a nice rest waiting for us as we packed up and went to the beach for a staff camp out. The Hill is still there and I have yet to return to my regular morning of running but I know I’ll get to it soon, well,,,hopefully tomorrow morning. I was actually just asked what my goal was in running,,,certain number of miles, a marathon… But right now it’s simply to be able run all the way up the hill without stopping.