Life is a race and aging is the pace we run at

The runner - a curious athlete 

An arbitrary finish for a mindless follower

The best of them lead the way

But to what goal

 

The young, eager, fresh faces of the inexperienced

How blissfully ignorant 

Ready to toe the line

Only to fail

Yet they return 

Time and time again 

Not because they're told to

Nor because they have to

The best of them do it for the thrill

But why

 

The open road is always free

Waiting to be travelled

The hidden, winding trails of forests

Life's unexpected journeys

The best of them explore

But how did they know what to find

 

The race is no different from a practice

Practice is no different than the mundane

But the mundane can be exhilerating

The best of them understand this 

But what taught them

 

The best of them understand who they are

They're still those young, eager, inexperienced faces

The new will learn in time

So the best of them teach them

 

Running is the truest team sport there is 

Every person has an individual responsibility

Yet trusts others to do their jobs as well

Runners expereince the most pain

But also feel the most at peace

They know they've found a way to experience a life within a life

 

They come into the world of running knowing nothing

They focus on their own path and do what they're required

Somewhere along the way, they learn to look up from the road

They start to slow down and experience now

They stop chasing a mindless finish and do it for the joy

The less they put into it, the more they get out of it

And once they find their inner peace, they teach it to others

 

That is the cycle of a runner

They pass down their wisdom to those fortunate enough to follow

Running is freeing

Running is painful

Running is exhilerating

Running is enjoyable

 

In learning how to be a better runner

One learns how to be a better person

Running is a life within a life on a smaller scale

But the lessons learned are applicable to all areas of life