A wise man we met while hiking in Tuolomne advised us to “Follow the path of most resistance.” Although meant for a safe climb at the top of Lembert Dome, the advice can be applied to so many areas in life where one is tempted to take the easy way out even though choosing the harder path would yield a better outcome.
Take today for example. It’s Saturday morning and there are so many pulls to delay my long run. They pull at me constantly — until I am driven to take apart the pipes underneath my kitchen sink.
Not only does it feel like the world is resisting my heading out for a run, the world wants me to run as close to home as possible. You know, if I MUST do it. And I must.
While I was being pulled to run near home, I opted to drive to my favorite open space anyway. After lubing up my feet with a generous helping of unpetroleum jelly, I slipped on my fivefingers, and headed out for a 20 mile trail run.
So many thoughts were running through my mind. One in particular troubled me most. I fought back fear and replaced it with anger. Although temporary, it was a solution…of sorts. The run would do the rest of the needed healing. The increased effort required to run UPhill would aid greatly in the process.
Up, up, up…I ran. Until the thoughts in my mind were only of the trail ahead, and the trees all around. And although I did follow the path of most resistance, the end result was far better than I could have imagined.
With my phone ringing in the final mile of my 20 mile run, I got the opportunity to express my disappointment from a more neutral point. I also covered nearly 20 miles in my fivefingers — the farthest I’ve run in them yet.
If all that wasn’t enough, I also got invited to join my super-smart-and-very-good-looking friend on yet another fabulous adventure. And with this, I opted not for the path of most resistance but rather the path-of-most-affinity…
