Age. A State of Mind?

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

           — George Bernard Shaw

They say that age is a state of mind. I tend to agree with this adage - with one caveat - your state of mind can change quickly, and without notice. As in one moment you can be running like a banshee down a mountain trail, full of vim and vigor, and the next moment you can be falling face first on that same trail, questioning your own sanity before the point of impact. 

Twain had an interesting perspective on age. He said "If you don't mind, it doesn't matter". I wholeheartedly agree with this thought, with one minor exception. Like when you have been running for 5 hours in the heat of the day, and you forget to take in adequate electrolytes. You begin to notice the rest of your body taking on a mind of its own. Now you are running with two minds, with one telling you to charge on, and the other is slowly turning out the lights, telling you the party is over. Next you find yourself crumpled on the ground fighting leg cramps. Does that matter?

There are occasions when I question myself, and the decision to pick up ultra running in my late 40s and continue into my 60s. Why put myself through the difficulty? Why not simply play golf or pickle ball to, as Thoreau once said, "wring the marrow out of life?" Perhaps it comes down to something I realized as I look back on the challenges I faced along the way. Maybe its the highest "highs" and the lower "lows"  that are the most memorable, because they are the ones that make me feel alive.

Happy running everyone!