This year I've learned a lot about running, training, nutrition, fitness, recreation, and I suppose some stuff about teaching, math, and teaching math. I'd like to
The first thing I want to talk about is to have passion for what you do. I've discovered with each passing year that the more I run, the more I enjoy it. 50 miles per week was more fun than 40, 60 more than 50, 70 more than 60, and 80 more than 70. I don't necessarily expect everybody to share my sentiment, but don't find yourself stuck doing things you don't enjoy. Now, some might say "Nate, you DO understand that in this world you can't just do what you want all the time, right?" Um yes, but that doesn't mean you can't make the most of any situation. We all have to eat, right? (right??) So how about finding foods that you enjoy eating and making; instead of cooking being an activity that wastes your time, find a way to enjoy it! For me personally, I like listening to the radio while I'm baking, and seeing all the ingredients come together I find to be really interesting.
If you have to study, honestly try to find a way to make studying interesting. If you have to drive, honestly find a way to make the trip interesting. If you have to run, honestly find a way to make it interesting. If you have to do anything, try to find a way to make it interesting- what can you possibly lose while attempting that? You only stand to gain in the end.
A few days ago I was out at my Bible Camp for a staff reunion (and painting...so much painting), so of course I went for a run. One of the full-time staff allowed his dog to run with me, and soon thereafter I found myself running up a gravel hill with a dog sprinting past me and playing in the snow, all while hundreds of scared geese were taking flight from a nearby corn field. I could hear all of the wings flapping and the squaks of each individual goose filling the air- I couldn't hear anything else. It's events like this that give me motivation when I'm staring out the window at 7:30am, watching the snow blow across the road, stepping outside and feeling frigid air on my face, and starting to run even though my legs refuse to cooperate. Find passion in all that you do.
The second thing I want to do is make an awareness plea for fitness events that go on in North Dakota. The more time I spend running in different places in this state, the more I become acutely aware of two facts: one- that there are a lot of committed runners in this state and two- living and training on the prairie doesn't hurt your chances of running fast- it actually makes you stronger. However, some of the really cool races/events in this state end up with lower participation than might be expected. Did you know:
1.) There are two full marathons in this state with a third in the making? Right now Fargo has a spring marathon, and Bismarck has a fall one. Grand Forks has its first full marathon coming this fall. For realz. On top of those events (that also have half marathons), there have been half marathons/10ks in Minot and Dickinson.
2.) There are 5k races in more towns than you can count. It seems nowadays that almost every small town has some sort of a 5k during their fall town celebration. Check some out.
3.) There is a 100-mile bike race through the Badlands. It's called the Maah Daah Hey 100 (with 75, 50, and 25 mile options as well) and it's part of the growing popularity of endurance sports. I mean, who doesn't like the Badlands?!
4.) On a similar note, END (Extreme North Dakota Racing) puts on some endurance events as well, such as ultra runs, adventure racing, and ultra swimming.
This of course just skims the surface of events going on in this state, but the more you look, the more you find!
And the last part for this section is a lobbying plea from somebody without power or authority to do so:
1.) We need a road mile in this state. I think doing one through downtown Fargo would be cool. Yes, it would be hard to organize, but if we can't close one road for long enough to do a one-mile race event that would generate a lot of press, then my exploits are worthless.
2.) Bring back the Prairie Rose State Games. By the time I found out about it, it was done. I guess it was difficult to keep it from going stale and it was hard to get enough sponsors every year, but it's such a cool idea! Having a public track meet in Bismarck for people that may or may not be on high school or college teams sounds is a great idea, and I think it should keep happening.
The final thing I want to touch on is high school and college track. These events are the most simple events out there and have stood the test of time- footraces, throwing and jumping events, etc. Many of the lessons I've learned so far in my life have come directly from training and races for track events, and I think everybody can benefit somewhat from their own experiences too. Failures don't kill you and successes don't define you. It's all about finding that passion. So yeah, it's cold and a little windy right now, but I'm going to go get dressed in my running clothes and head out to the gravel; I have some learning to do.
Happy New Year!
Nate
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