In running there is a thing called the gratitude mile, this is when a person is dealing with doubt or some kind of negativity in a race or hard training run where the person takes a mile to reenergize themselves by reflecting on the things they are thankful for and the people that have helped make life worth living. In essence, it is a time to meditate on the “Whys” in a person’s life.
I experienced a bout of negativity at about mile 11 of the Houston Marathon. I can laugh at it now because it seems silly but I started saying things to myself like “you are only at mile 11 are you sure you are going to be able to do this pace for another 15 miles?” I had to have a little pep talk with myself that went something like this, “so you dragged your family halfway across the country and you are contemplating letting off the gas at mile 11? You know damn well that Deanna and the kid are watching you on Garmin LiveTrack right now and if you let off the gas you should just delete your account.”
There is something about reflecting on the things that matter. So in the spirit of the gratitude mile, I decided to start a project on my Instagram where I posted a picture a day for the first 30 days of 2020 representing significant tent poles of the last decade.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwBIgPXNKMQ
In this first gallery, I turn 30 at Coachella with fireworks and Beyonce and Jay-Z singing forever young. I graduated from the College of the Canyons with my graphic design degree. Rediscover running, watch my packers win a super bowl and find my soul mate!
In the gallery are pictures representing becoming a dad to the monkey, finishing the final mile challenge, the time Deanna surprised me with a Rush concert which became more significant with the recent passing of Neil Peart.
There was one picture that I choose not to share, partially because I would have posted it while we were in Houston and partially because I didn’t want to dwell on a very negative experience. But I took this picture of Deanna from my hospital bed. I don’t want to rehash the events of July 11, 2013, or their impact on this last decade, but just to say how comforting it was to have Deanna in my corner during that time. Feel free to read more about that night and the aftermath in a 5 part blog series.
This last gallery highlights the last part of the decade we have Monkey playing football, our first Packer game as a family and the day I started this running journey and finally a picture take by Deanna just moments before I crossed the finish line of my first Marathon!
The 2010s were quite a decade. I started the decade with some really big high notes, then got knocked to my knees and had to climb my way up and am proud to say I ended the decade better than I started it!