“The only thing, really, that marks the difference between the beginning and the end is the passage of time” (Pont 210). Isn’t this a great statement about a race and life?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Sorry. I won’t bore you with excuses about new babies, sidewalk sales, my sister’s wedding, etc. I would like to point out that the Boys and Girls Club was the people’s choice for the charity I should support. Join the fundraising effort on Facebook by searching for the Boys and Girls Club of  Holland.

I just finished reading Finding Their Stride by Sally Pont. It is the story of a high school cross country season as told by the coach. Very inspirational stuff! She writes a lot about how her athletes change throughout the season. She also examines the metaphors offered by running. Her voice comes through so passionately that it made me long to re-live my high school cross country seasons.

The metaphoric side of running is a by-product of all the silent seconds spent in flight (at least for us non-Ipod impaired runners). Every mile offers time to think and examine life. Throughout the memoir, Pont shares her hopes and dreams for the athletes she coaches. She also examines them for changes and growth. The race descriptions serve as a psychological treatise on her athletes; she uses the symbols of the run to describe the teens’ pain, desire, emotion. On my runs, I understand what she is saying.

“Finding pleasure in the pain of running, she feels no need at all to change” (Pont 190). Everyone has been on a run that hurt, a run that pushed them farther than they thought possible. When I push through that wall, when I live in that pain, I finish feeling satisfied. That is what Pont is saying here. She’s saying that to find the pleasure in pain frees us from the pressures and demands of others. We’re free to be ourselves. Runners push through that physical pain, but people often need to push the emotional pain of refusing to fit into the boxes others try to force us into.

This is a short post, but it’s all I’ve got right now. Find a copy of Finding Their Stride by Sally Pont. It will inspire you to find more meaning in your running. Here’s one last quote for you.

“The point is to be better than you thought you could be. That, really, is winning” (Pont 227).

Pont, Sally. Finding Their Stride. Harcourt Brace: New York. 1999.