Lace 'em Up!

“They’re here!” exclaimed my wife, Jackie, as she ripped open the package containing her new running shoes with kid-on-Christmas-morning enthusiasm. There they were, bright and beautiful – Nike Air Zoom Elites. “Wow, those are almost too great looking to run in,” I marveled. “Are you kidding?” she said. “I can’t wait to get these bad boys on the road and scuff ‘em up,” she added with a mischievous grin.

That made me think of a story I came across the other day about Fred Astaire, the famous vaudeville dancer/actor. He said that any time he received a shiny new pair of dancing shoes, he instantly threw them against the wall to ding them up. Astaire said that this served to remind him that the shoes were not to just be admired – they were a tool to help him achieve big goals and help him reach his full potential.

For my wife, her new shoes represent an opportunity to run new places and train for new races – a blank slate of exciting potential. I have really been inspired by her infectious competitiveness, positive attitude and willingness to dive headfirst into new adventures. Over the past few years, she has gone from rarely working out to completing triathlons and half marathons. I was recently amazed by her when she conquered the ultimate endurance sport – the birth of our daughter!

I’ve come to realize that when you surround yourself with positive people, positive things happen. My wife, by her example, has inspired to me to lengthen my stride and aspire higher. Today, I rode bikes with my buddy, George, who is enthusiastically training for his first biathlon. And lately, my writing work has lead me to cross paths with talented people who are dreaming big dreams and making them happen.

It’s all rubbing off on me – or so I hope. I’m running three marathons this year, growing my business, watching my baby daughter two days a week while working, and scripting out a book idea. But here’s the thing – on Monday, I’m going back to college to attempt to add a French minor or major to my resumé. And THAT scares me! I mean how do I reprimand my son for not getting high grades if I fail to do so myself? Once again the pressure’s on – I guess it’s time to lace ‘em up and go for it!

Talk to you soon. Until then, pick up the pace and run your own race.

- Jeff