心理師的眼睛

By Steve Ke (#540 Men Open 9km) (Writer/Psychologist)

with Kevin Luo (#562 Men Open 9km) and Johnson Chen (#505 )

Exerpt from：http://slke.pixnet.net/blog/post/161412134

The Road That Was Always There

 What Kind of running shorts should I get for the race?

The cool looking or just the ordinary?  How about the fabric?

How do I get to Chi Nan Temple? Where can I park?

Should I take a taxi or bus?

and still..... What Kind of running shorts should I get for the race?

Get together and run in some road race and marathon, is now part of alternative class reunion event for our 6th grade class. Kevin was our class rep and the fastest guy in the entire 6th grade.  And having run with him brings me back a special pride (although he may have forgotten the photo we took together when he won the running medal at the 6th grade).

The atmosphere at the starting line easily draw up runners' adrenalin and fighting will, but am I going to run this still?!

Kevin took his kids to the same race last year, and it took nearly 4 hours to come back in the pouring rain, I can see his face still dread about last year's scary experience.  He looks still a bit nervous, But seeing the Chi Nan Temple and the surrounding beautiful natural scene, I have told myself and decided just treat this race as a weekend trail walk.

And we finally found the other classmate Johnson and his two teenage nephews at the temple, looking excited and confident.   And that took away my final excuse to get out of the race.

Who knows? without these big and small running mate, I could not even continue to run in the past three years, and begin to feel and experience the same emotions described in the book of great Japanese novelist Murakami Haruki !  I need to thank Kevin and Johnson, after all, to keep a good habit, you need to have equally passionate partners like them!

 The whistle and cheers started!  We saw Johnson and his family took off to the front of the pack,  While Kevin and I both decided to take it slow and chatting while running.  

And was not too long after the race, I came to realization some section of the trail is just climbing seemingly endless stairs, and most of the trails are almost impossible to run.  With competition catching up with us, we did not slowing down,  And soon, all we left are just short and dying breath.

Giving up? But I see no one turning back.  How could I possibly finish the race, if this is only the beginning?  

But as far as I remembered, this should be the last thought in my mind, because, afterwards, every steps became tricky and I was forced to be totally focused on every steps of the way.

When we finished the stars, while wiping off the sweats, I felt a great exhilaration of being so close to mountain and nature, and also have overcome something I did not think I could have done 

Thousands of strings of thoughts about the race, from last night to this morning, now the only thing ahead is the path to finish line. 

 I  ran pass through the muddy trails and flooded creek last year, imaging what was being like last year for the runners and the kids.  The final stairs was literally pushing our final physical limit after a 9k hard trail.  But the crowd cheers gave me a surprising kick start boost to run across the finish line

I even got my own medal for the race (perhaps because I finished within time limit) !  I can not help to feel a self-pride of accomplished something great, and that turns into my cheers for the other runners who also did come through the finish line afterwards.

And about the question "What kind of running shorts should I get for the race?"

I think I will postpone this question until the next race. but for sure, I have add another great memory to the chapter of life.

When you cannot make up your mind in life?  

just go out!

The road is always there prepared for you, 

and it is up to you to take the first step out.

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