Running Rejection and Rejuvination

Rejection can be a sharp edged part of life.

For a sensitive soul like me, who thinks and dreams at length, rejection can be debilitating.  However, going off the theme in my previous post, "attitude is everything" I will also say that rejection can be an instigator of harder work.  We might dig in, and persevere harder than ever.

So, here's what happened.  I am planning on running the Ultramarathon Caballo Blanco this March in the Copper Canyons of Mexico.  YES!

My heart, my mind, my body say yes.  The universe, however, is putting me through some challenges to get there.  My good friend who convinced me that I should run it is perhaps not running it after all.

The bigger stumbling block is funding; and I am reaching out to sponsors and asking for help in this tremendous effort.  My first response and second response was a quick "no".

Okay, but sometimes rejection makes you try harder.  And that is what I'm hoping for.  My attitude this year is to embrace my bliss and my dreams with my whole heart and live fully.  There is little space in this equation for playing the victim or feeling small.

I am training harder than ever, and focusing on preparation.  I'm getting ready for the 50 mile Ultramarathon with two long runs each weekend, and mixing it up throughout the week with long bike rides or swims for cross-training, and a lot of strength work.

I'm all dressed up and ready for the party. 

But, just like a preview of the toughness of running 50 miles over rocky trails over canyons and gulches that will come on March 3rd; preparing for the journey is proving tough!  My body and my debt are paying the price for following my passions.  Is this what following your heart feels like?  Painful?

And I think part of the answer is "yes".  Because I'm in some pain, but I'm also in flow.  When I run at 5 a.m. through the crisp Kona, HI air, and feel my heart pumping with the earth; then come home and recover with locally grown papaya, pineapple and vegetables; I feel totally in sync with the universe.

So, I suppose the answer from the world to my upcoming journey is YES.  There may be challenges and frustrations and limitations, but all we can do is move forward.