Empathy is a virtue.
This morning after resting four consecutive days, I ran the quintessential distance of distance running: Ten miles.
The course itself consisted of rolling hills, largely on open farm road of southern Maine. What lies between my arrival of the race and my time now is a miracle of deliverance.
I ran with a close friend whom I have run many times with. His soul is filled with the virtues of courage and prudence, and his vigor is fueled by his own inadequacies.
It would be discourteous to call him anything less than the epitome of perseverance and ambition.
On another day, perhaps in the future, two of our other running mates would be out there, leaving on the pavement only the sinews of physical effort. But today it was just the two of us.
We were issued chips which recorded our time. I had dressed what I thought to be accordingly for the chilly winter’s day, and strapped my ankle strap chip upon my leg. I subsequently decided to change, placing my compression pants over my chip. Forgetting my own chip lay beneath my friend’s, I mistakenly grabbed his and put mine over my leg.
He then rabidly searched the car for his chip, as I patiently waited for the gun to go off. The heard began to move, and he slammed his door shut from sheer anger, and ran down into the race. He had never run a better race.
Fueled by his perceived frustration and inadequacies, he ran strong at a pace I can not hold for longer than 5 miles. He received no time. No validation. But his own personal acceptance of his efforts. I robbed him of this right, and confess. I made an error which took from him the only proof of the apex of his accomplishments at this distance. It was a mistake. An honest error.
He forgave me. And we both enjoyed the day. But we also must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. Records do not stand without numbers.
I have subsequently run a 2.5 mile cool down, done a core workout, and now feel about as ambitious as dried paint, and as decent as a criminal. But I have found something in such a short time that would not have been delivered were it not for my careless ineptitude.
Empathy.
