WHY I RUN…
Posted in Fitness Tips, Gladiator Rock'n Run on October 8th by Dan.
As I train for the insanity of the Gladiator Rock'n Run – I took a moment to remember WHY I RUN. It's about our best runs. The ones that keep us coming back again and again. I think we all have one that stands above all others.
It not about distance.
It not about time.
It not about speed.
It's about place.
The Grand Pitons of St. Lucia. They are jaw-dropping stunning and one of the "1000 Things You Should See Before You Die."
The run was through this sleepy little village island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean called “Fonds Gens Libre” which means “valley of the free people.” The name of the village hints at its history. It is where the native runaway slaves (Neg Mawons) and the black freedoms fighter first settled during the slave wars in 1748.
The run started on the outskirts of my hotel the Jalousie Plantation.
Within minutes I disappeared into a lush rain forest and was lost amongst giant ferns and massive bursts of green vegetation.
I charged through a clearing, ran down a long dirt road past an ancient cacao plantation through magnificent stands of cocoa, banana, and coconut. As I entered Fonds Gens Libre and raced past the small wooden shacks the speckled the hillside my heart pumped so hard in my chest — I could literally hear the battle cries of the ghost of the Neg Mawons.
I thought about their battles. The blood spilled for freedom. And it made me think about our freedoms. Our great country. The things we take for granted.
It made me think about this last year. The triumphs… the failures… the dreams and the losses.
I came to an impossibly steep incline – and charged up it for all I was worth. My heart rattled against my ribs and my lungs burst, then finally hacking, spitting, grunting – I reached the top of the hill.
There I stopped, took a deep breath in, and looked at the valley that spilled into view below me.
Baptized by the fire and the adrenaline that only a hard run can bring, I'm filled with the desire to be a better man. A better father. A better brother, son, companion and friend.
And that’s what a great run is.
It’s a stage to get to a better part of ourselves. To hear our inner voice. To open up that hallowed place within us that allows us to connect with God, Allah, nature, the universe or whatever you may call it.
It’s a place I yearn to return to again and again.
It’s the reason I run.
Now go out there and get your run on – so you'll be ready for the "Gladiator Rock'n Run."
Dan "Nitro" Clark
Technorati Tags: best runs, running tips, Gladiator Rock'n Run, St. Lucia, Fonds Gens Libre, Piton St. Lucia, best running trails, best places to run, Why I run, Jalousie Plantation, Dan Clark, Dan Nitro Clark, American Gladiator Nitro, American Gladiators, Pitons, Dan Clark Gladiator, Grand piton, best runs, great runs, jogging
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Beautiful and exactly how I feel. Running is a celebration of all that I have and all that I am. I've become a Zen-Runner in a way. Running is not about battling my weakness or nature, beating a certain time or proving how hard core I am. It's about living and running makes me feel so alive, so complete, so in touch with nature, with the energy of the universe. It's meditative and empowering. I love the feeling of my body in motion. I love all the feelings, thoughts, smells, and sights I get to experience as I travel through this amazing world.
I love your description and your run sounds utterly amazing!!!
Thanks Rachel. I agree. The best part of a run is when the world washes away, and it's just the path in front you…
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