Endurance

Whenever I hear that word there pops into my mind one thought, “just keep swimming!”

For years after first watching Finding Nemo and even to this day if our kids are finding a long walk a bit arduous we will find this phrase escaping our lips. No further explanation is required at all, they know that there will be no added sympathy or carrying involved. They have always risen to the expectation of walking.

There was a period of about three years where we had no car, it was a challenge at times and required exceptionally active planning and forethought. On rare occasions we hired a car if long distance was required but in the day to day we could walk everywhere that we needed to be. It is entirely possible to live like this where we live and we proved that it needn’t be too much of a chore.

A good friend from America spent a few days with my wife and was astounded just how much she walks on a daily basis. The distance covered is probably a good few miles before days end.

This same friend is a marathon runner, she has participated in many full marathons in several countries and derives something from it that escapes me. When we were young a snickers bar was called a marathon in this country, that is the closest I have ever come to embracing the long distance race.

In the 4 hours from midnight last night I was competing in an endurance race. It was a course around a lake with added obstacles over and above the hilly terrain already present. There were 10 of us involved and it was something similar to a iron baby race, there were no babies involved but it couldn’t be described as an iron man thing, no mud or electrified nets!

What struck me throughout the race was that those in the lead changed position with some regularity, certain aspects of the terrain were a surprising challenge to some and this knocked them off top spot. The water aspect wasn’t involved other than to serve as a pleasant feature.  At least twice there were occasions when two of the competitors abandoned the idea of winning to help a fellow participant through a tough stretch of the course.

At one point I thought that I might actually win as I gained a convincing lead, but just at that juncture the course turned back on itself and there was someone really struggling with cramp. I just couldn’t help myself, back I went!

Ultimately I am not sure who won because I woke up with my wife requiring a comfort stop.

I have never had the slightest inclination to be involved in one of these races and found the whole dream very exhausting, truthfully I was glad to wake up.

The older that I get the more I am realising, as many before me, that life is an endurance. That flies on the face of all the quotes but it actually is!

Now there are two ideas contained in that word. It is certainly not that healthy to live our whole lives just enduring everything, but everything about life requires endurance. To live with me should come with a medal for enduring, I should get one as well for goodness sake, I drive myself crazy.

We don’t get the option as adults of completely giving up, not if we want to actually LIVE. As a race we are endowed with reserves and resources that we don’t often tap into. It is only when we see them in others that we think they exist, you are capable of way more than you realise at present and moving from enduring life to enjoying it with an enduring character is something that I am aiming for.