I Love Being Inspired

I enjoy searching the Internet and talking to others with the intent of discovering something inspirational to fuel me. My biggest inspiration is close to home, as it is undoubtedly my father. With a firm father figure, I am blessed to have numerous additional inspirations. I believe it is important for all people to encounter something that will cause them to raise the bar every time a personal goal is achieved and something that will ignite a fire within that propels them forward. Inspiration is a lovely part of life.


I could easily be caught devouring running news and immersing myself in running-related articles. To my satisfaction, I keep up-to-date with the latest running talk through websites such as letsrun.com, flotrack.org, and  runnerspace.com. I find these sites extremely helpful when I'm looking for big breakthrough news in the running community. A collegiate runner myself, one of the main reasons I gravitate toward these sites is because I'm looking for inspiration. Honestly, that's a huge reason why I've spent countless hours digging through these sites. 


I ran (no pun intended) across something incredible on one of the aforementioned sites a little while back that truly inspired me. A young Japanese man by the name of Yuki Kawauchi ran to an incredible third-place finish at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon with a time of 2:08:37, good for a 4:54 mile pace. He was just 23 years old at the time and, get this, works a full-time job. He trains on his own during non-work hours, but mentions that he trains much less that many other Japanese professional runners that are signed by corporations and have the privilege of running as their job. Kawauchi collapsed immediately after crossing the line, proving that he gave every little ounce of energy he could find.


In a blog written by Anna Novick for Japan Realtime, it is said that Kawauchi works Monday - Friday, from 12:45 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. during the school year and from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. when school is out. He loves his job and has never hinted that he desires to quit and take on running full-time. He is motivation, and he is inspiring. But what makes me bring up this 24-year-old dubbed the "Citizen Runner" in December when his gutsy Tokyo Marathon occurred in February is the unbelievable feat he just recently accomplished.


On December 4 at the Fukuoka Marathon, the 5'7" Kawauchi again ran stellar. He finished third with a time of 2:09:57. On a side note, a sub-2:10 marathon is fantastic for elite runners, and to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon you need to boast a 2:19:00. As for Kawauchi, he both shocked and amused the running world by entering himself in the Hofu Yomiuri Marathon set for December 18, a mere two weeks after his 2:09:57 in Fukuoka. Folks, marathoners are depleted upon completing the 26.2-mile distance, most needing a week rest of no running at all. Elite marathoners tactically schedule marathons months apart so they can be as fresh as possible each time they toe the line. Not Kawauchi.


A man with a gargantuan heart tucked inside his 130-pound body, he pounded out a 2:12:33, second-place effort at Hofu Yomiuri. To cover 26.2 miles at an average mile pace of 5:03 just two weeks after a 2:09:57 is inspiring to me. I coudn't believe it when my eyes ran across the headline. This guy is a machine, a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain. A quote of his is now one of my favorites: "Every time I run it's with the mindset that if I die at this race, it's OK." Wow.


Watching the pain and agony on Kawauchi's face in a clip of his mind-blowing 2:08:37 in Tokyo has found a place in my mind. I thought of it on my run today. I ran a satisfying seven miles and at numerous times thought of the clip I watched earlier in the day. It fueled me, reminding me that there is no reason why I shouldn't complete the run in fine fashion. I use his pain as motivation; a pain proven by the fact that he has collapsed at the conclusion of every marathon he's participated in. 


In a video entitled "Yuki Kawauchi's message to runners around the world," Kawauchi himself delivers these highly inspiring words: "Whenever you feel like you're about to give up, keep believing that you can still do it. Keep running and racing and trying to improve, but at the same time keep your enjoyment of it and keep doing it all your life. I intend to keep doing this for the rest of my life too."


Kawauchi inspires me. I encourage you to explore for something inspirational. You may already possess many inspirations, but no one to my knowledge has put a limit on the number of inspirations you may own. I recently have made Kawauchi one of my mine, and I hope you uncover one that will encourage you to keep improving to become the best that you are capable of becoming. 


Associated Press