A Bolder Boulder

The tale of the tortoise and the hare teaches us that slow and steady wins the race. This adage applied to me on Memorial Day 2018 as I walked the Bolder Boulder 10k, finishing in 2 hours 20 minutes. I think I could jog a 10k at sea level: I had been training with JackRabbit Sports in Manhattan for that distance. However, my lungs have not yet adjusted to Colorado’s thin air well enough and my bone marrow has not created enough red blood cells to transport oxygen to my system.

It probably wouldn’t have made a huge amount of difference in my time: I’m a notoriously slow runner, but I always attend scheduled group runs and complete them. Last fall, I took inspiration from Angela Duckworth’s Grit. It recounted that the West Point students who made it through the rigorous, 7-week Beast Barracks boot camp were not the students with the highest Whole Candidate admissions scores but rather those who possessed a “never give up” attitude. “Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another,” Duckworth wrote. Showing up for training is half the job. I’m proud of myself for my discipline and drive, which has helped me accomplish goals for which I might not have natural aptitude. Such as completing a 10k without getting pulled off the course.

I was asking some of my housemates at dinner last night whether passion or dedication was more important in being successful. The consensus was that both were vitally important, but that passion sets a direction and dedication moves you forward along the right path. Thomas Edison stated that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. But passion provides that 1% inspiration, that driving force.

So it goes with my fitness routine. I woke up approximately 3 mornings a week to take long walks along Baseline and Broadway, wandering to the Hill and bringing along my handy dandy iPhone 6s to distract myself from boredom. I was prepared to walk the culminating event today, knowing that the accompanying festivities would keep me engaged. Just as equestrians give horses carrots, I require incentives in the form of entertainment.

This morning’s experience did not disappoint. Belly dancers in revealing outfits, human penguins, a Slip N Slide, cheerleaders with signs saying “Great Job Random Stranger,” and runners with rainbow umbrellas, American flags, and stickers saying “Will Run for Beer” surrounded me against the musical backdrop of Michael Jackson, live indie performances, and blasting bhangra beats. Advertisers like Chick Fil-A and Clif Bars wore absurd costumes to attract the attention of potential customers.

The experience felt more like a spectacle than like a competitive race with uncomfortable huffing and puffing. I think it would have helped had I not forgotten to eat breakfast or even a potassium-laden banana before the event. Despite the snafus, I noticed the effect of the endorphins. I felt energized, enthusiastic, and of course exhausted by the time I crossed the finish line.

Outdoor exercise is the Colorado culture. It has instilled in me a certain level of confidence about the wondrous possibilities that my time in this beautiful city will inspire – and how this intentional time will help me accomplish my personal and professional goals.

My New Year’s resolution for 2018 was to be present in the moment, neither dwelling on the past nor worrying too much about the future. Completing the Bolder Boulder makes me happy, healthy, and hopeful – about both the present moment and the horizon that lies ahead.

Published in the May/June 2021 issue of The Docket.

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