Just to be clear, I don’t run–I jog. When I lace up my shoes, I do so in the spirit of survival, not competition. I turned 40 a few years back, and like many men my age, I panicked. If you don’t believe me, just look at the results of any local 5K. The age groups really begin to stack up around 40 and above.
Don’t be fooled, though. There are many fast and talented runners in the Master’s (euphemism for ‘old’) Class. It is just that I am not, nor do I ever want to be, one of them. I am more concerned with my heart rate than my ‘splits’. I check my blood pressure, not my stopwatch.
My goal is to win the long race. You see, I have a seven-year-old daughter. She is the light of my life. I want to be there to see her grow up and graduate. I want to be there for her for as long as she needs me. I run so that I can walk her down the aisle. I jog so I can dance at her wedding reception. My race isn’t measured in minutes and seconds, but in years.
So, for those of you like me, take it easy. You do not need to charge out and break records. You don’t not need to lead the pack across the finish line. Find your own finish line, whether its having more energy to play with your kids, sleeping better at night, or hedging your bets on longevity. Start slow, finish slow. But, just make sure you start. It’s your race, jog it.
About Ken Storen
Ken is the proudest father of the greatest little 7 year old on the planet. In order to keep up with her infinite energy, he likes to take long, slow jogs. It is the only way he can remain in shape to play hour after hour of ”Catch the Cheetah”. He also did and does a lot of other stuff.
