For God's sake- it's just running!

"The root of all suffering is attachment"
Buddha

"I'd die if I couldn't run."

"I only finished 87 miles of my 100 mile race."
"I didn't PR"
"I only ran the half"
"My arm was falling off, but I should have kept going anyway....."

It's Sunday evening, and I'm saddened to see my Facebook page flooded with statuses like the quotes above.  So many people suffering via their attachment to running.

I've been there myself, beating myself up for not hitting my goal even though I had a fever of 101.  Being disappointed in not finishing a race, yet ending up with several stitches in my knee.   Pissed off because I came in 4th  place in my age group instead of third
Leaving a race feeling down instead of grateful.......

It's time to stop the madness. 
Being able to move our bodies through time and space in a mindful way is the gift of being human. 
Power, skill, fortitude....we make cool shit happen every day. 
Some people are exquisite artists.
Some people are  able to find "X" in the equation
Some people can cook a mean rib eye
and some people (the cool ones)  run. 
But we are also mothers and fathers, and lovers, and seekers, and gypsies. 
We gather, we feast, we pray and we protest. 
We help, and care, and give and listen. 

Running is such a small part of who we are. 
A very wise coach and friend once told me, "You are not defined by who you are as a runner.  You are defined by who you are as a person." 
Running, living, being....its a gift.