The Life Cycle of A Runner
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