You’re out on a five mile run, the sun is setting and the stars are beginning to shine. You are traveling a measureable distance across a tiny blue bubble in space that has been in existence for 4.5 billion years within a universe that was created out of nothing 13.7 billion years ago.
It would be easy to feel small.
If you took the time to contemplate your short life and insignificant size…you could easily ask yourself the questions “Why am I here?” “What is the point of my existence?” “Would the Universe miss me if I was suddenly gone”?
The answers will come to you eventually, but when I’ve asked myself those very same questions over the past year: my answers seemed clear to me:
I am here to observe and be observed.
The point and purpose of my existence is to make the universe that I observe better…
and the Universe would not care if I was suddenly gone…but the Universe doesn’t care about anything…unless, of course you’re talking about other people, people who I care about and who care about me…because the fact is that you and I, are a part of the universe.
Links:
The RELATIVE size of planets and stars: http://www.rense.com/general72/size.htm
http://htwins.net/scale2/
Happenings:
June 16th: Liberty Loco –http://arunningskeptic.blogspot.com
July 7th – 8th – The Run For Stone - http://www.runforstone.blogspot.com
HEY, LOOK OVER THERE!!!: http://neilbearse.com
ONLY IF YOU LIKE IT: Phedippidations is supported every month through the very kind and sincerely generous financial support of 18 fellow runners: Katie; Jan, Chaise, Andie, Gordon, Scott, Mike, David, Jeff, Colin, Jason, Diane, Greg, Jim, Maddy, Tim, Bill and Kevin.: THANK YOU! {http://support.steverunner.com}
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“The Galaxy Song” by Eric Idle
“Alone in the Universe” was by David Usher at http://davidusher.com
If you’re a new runner, or know someone who is...or even if you are a runner who has packed away your running shoes because you’re in some kind of a slump, or gave up running due to reasonable health reasons...I’m here to tell you that you are not alone.
You’re not the first runner to quit, and you won’t be the last.
I know, because I’ve been there...and todays epsiode of Phedippidations is a shout of encouragement...it’s my attempt to say to you that even if you’ve hung up your shoes: you’re not a quitter. Stop thinking of your running in terms of that. Whatever your goals are..whatever the reason it was that made you first lace up your shoes...they’re still valid reasons; the only thing you really have to do is change those short term goals into long term goals...and recognize the signs of improvement.
You really are, a runner. Sometimes we don’t feel that way, sometimes we feel like giving up, crawing into our darkened subterrainan dens and disassociating ourselves from that aweful activity...but if we can think it through clearly, and unwrinkle our damaged souls...we’ll all realize that we have evolved to be runners, and that happiness can be found in accepting that truth and becoming what we were meant to be.
I’ve had alot of time to think about how I’d conclude, this: my 300th episode...and I guess it makes sense for me to briefly comment on something I said in episode 1: When I talked about the horrible feeling of dropping the ball and losing the 1977 championship baseball game of the Weymouth Farm League for my team, The Red Barons.
The essay I wrote and read was my way of explaining why, after that crushing loss, I sought to involve myself only in sports that celebrated individual achievement. I wrote:
“It's probably no coincidence that I've never played in a team sport since. I chose, instead, to direct my athletic attentions to the Cross Country and Track teams, as well as the individual medley events on the swim team. I involved myself in sports that didn't require team camaraderie; I selected athletics that rewarded individual success without the dependency of others.”
Seven years and 300 episodes later; I’ve come to realize how wrong I was....that this sport I love so much, this running is one that depends on camaraderie, it thrives on the dependency of others, it improves with friendship.
We’re all going to experience bad days. Life is pain...but life is also filled with such beauty and hope. As runners, we share a common experience and this is not something we should keep for ourselves...there’s no good that can come by keeping for ourselves.
I have a New Hope...a certain longing for a better world, a dream that we can all be happy, healthy and loved. John Lennon wrote that he was a dreamer...but he’s not the only one...Martin Luther King Jr. wrote about his dream for justice and equality, Mahatma Ghandi wrote "What is true of the individual will be tomorrow true of the whole nation if individuals will but refuse to lose heart and hope."
Running, as with life, is not an individual sport. It is my new hope that you and I can inspire others to become fellow runners...to become better human beings and friends.
For my part, I’ll use Phedippidations to promote that agenda. I may drop the ball from time to time, but this is no longer an individual sport, and with you on my team...our new hope will become a new reality.
I’m Steve Runner, reminding you to run long and taper.
The next episode of Phedippidations is a celebration of this podcast and the community of which it is a part...we’re celebrating not because of anything I've ever recorded, presented or produced...but because you stepped up and said you would participate...that you’d jam some ear buds in your head and at least go for a run with me....whether you've been listening since episode one or if this is your first; the honor to run with you is mine.
Thank you for that honor, for being a friend and a fellow runner.
Links:
“Further” by Long-View http://www.longviewmusic.com
"Baby Can I Hold You" by Tracy Chapman
Get some social perspective: http://neilbearse.com
ONLY IF YOU LIKE IT: (But only if you can afford it) Phedippidations is supported every month through the very kind and sincerely generous financial support of 51 fellow runners:
William, Vera, Katie, Heather, Ryan, Chaise, Andie, Gordon, Scott, Mike, David, Jeff, Colin, Jason, Diane, Al, Cheryl, Ron, Mark, Martha, Greg, Jim, Maddy, Tim, Bill, Kevin, Michael, David, Doug, Vance, Brad, Rob, Marcelo, Andrew, Shawn, Roberto, Zaki, Ria, Jan, Margaret, James, Norm, Simon, Albert, Janice, Dan, Pam, Rob , Chris, Teresa
and one Anonymous fellow runner!
THANK YOU! {http://support.steverunner.com}
Follow me on:
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Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs are a class of medicine used to reduce fever and treat acute or chronic conditions where pain and inflammation are present. They are used, generally for the relief of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthropathies, gout, menstrual pain, headaches, post operative pain, and fever.
Side effects include: myocardial infarction, stroke, erectile dysfunction, nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, gastric ulceration, diarrhea, acute renal failure, tubular necrosis, broncospasm, rash, IBS symptoms, and even photosensitivity.
BUT…NSAID’s are effective for the relief of pain…as runners we know this. As runners many or most of us rely on ibuprofen or naproxen sodium to recover from injuries. So what does science tell us about the efficacy of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs?
How are we to deal with the problem with NSAID’s?
Links:
http://fellrnr.com
http://fellrnr.com/wiki/NSAIDs_and_Running
http://www.monteladner.com
The song “The Day” was by Moby http://www.moby.com/
Presenting Mr. Robin Bearse: http://neilbearse.com
ONLY IF YOU LIKE IT: Phedippidations is supported every month through the very kind and sincerely generous financial support of 42 fellow runners:
William, Vera, Katie, Heather, Ryan, Chaise, Andie, Gordon,
Scott, Mike, David, Jeff, Colin, Jason, Diane, Al, Cheryl,
Ron, Mark, Martha, Greg, Jim, Maddy, Tim, Bill, Kevin, Michael, David, Doug, Vance, Brad, Rob, Marcelo, Andrew, Shawn, Roberto, Zaki, Ria, Jan, Margaret, James
and one Anonymous fellow runner!
THANK YOU! {http://support.steverunner.com}
Follow me on:
Blog: http://steverunnerblog.com
Twitter: http://twitter.steverunner.com
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Love, is a many splendored thing, it’s all that matters, it’s all around, it moves in mysterious ways, it’s the answer, it makes no promises, it’s blind, you can’t buy it, it’s not for sale, it takes it toll, you can’t hurry it, it’s not a game, it’s a battlefield, it will keep us together, you can’t help falling in it, it doesn’t ask why, it hurts, and: “I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that”.
Whatever “that” is.
As runners, we say that we “love to run”, as husbands, wives and partners we most certainly love our significant others, we love people, friends, family, parents, children, all creatures great and small, and we love things…our magical revolutionary iThings, good wine, our running shoes, our town, our little blue bubble in space…and of course, we love more ethereal things such as situations and experiences.
But what is this thing called love? When the alien robot overlords invade our planet, and they ask about this emotional connection we have to people, things and experiences…what will we tell them?
Links:
October 27th and 28th: Join us for the http://worldwidefestivalofraces.wordpress.com
The song “Tomorrow” was by Black Lab off their album “Unplugged”. It’s one of my all time favorite albums and I HIGHLY recommend it: Go to http://blacklabworld.com
Please help Kim fight CANCER: http://ogden.kintera.org/kimcowart
“Love gives us a fairy tale”: http://neilbearse.com
ONLY IF YOU LIKE IT: Phedippidations is supported every month through the very kind and sincerely generous financial support of 39 fellow runners:
William, Vera, Katie, Heather, Ryan, Chaise, Andie, Gordon,
Scott, Mike, David, Jeff, Colin, Jason, Diane, Al, Cheryl,
Ron, Mark, Martha, Greg, Jim, Maddy, Tim, Bill, Kevin,
Michael, David, Doug, Vance, Brad, Rob, Marcelo, Andrew,
Shawn, Roberto, Zaki, Ria
and one fellow runner who asked that I not mention their name.
THANK YOU! {http://support.steverunner.com}
Follow me on:
Blog: http://steverunnerblog.com
Twitter: http://twitter.steverunner.com
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Stream: http://stitcher.steverunner.com
Apple App: http://iapp.steverunner.com
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Support: http://support.steverunner.com
