What does it mean to Race Epic?

Hopefully the organizers of Race Epic won’t mind, but I took some creative liberties with what exactly it meant to “race epic”.

The premise is to bring in 2012 by running. Makes total sense and I absolutely love the idea. Vastly different than any other New Year’s Eve for me. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more I thought that this Race Epic thing was for me to determine how I should do it. What would be more epic for me?

My last years in college and for many more after, I drank. That is putting it mildly. I almost considered it a skill in the amount of alcohol I could consume and took quite a bit of pride in being able to out drink anyone of my friends. Sad, but that is true. New Year’s Eve, as you could imagine, was one of my favorite holidays because of that reason. The lowest point for me, and I cannot even recall the year, was a party my roommate and I had at our apartment where I was going to see just how many shots I could do that night. The final count was 33. If you think 33 shots is bad, just imagine the next morning. I woke up drunk and it took most of the next day to sober up. New Year’s Eve was like that for me a lot, though not always to that extreme. I hated the next day. I always felt horrible. I always wondered why I did that to myself. And I always repeated the cycle.

So for me, Race Epic is not just about a new year’s resolution. I don’t make those because I think they are a little cliche. That is not what Race Epic is about to me, though. It is about two things: 1) an opportunity 2) a change. We all have opportunities and this was the first one of the new year for me. You see, me and 2012, we finna tangle. It is gonna get ugly. I am going to punch it in the face. So it is important for me to start it off right. Instead of sleeping in, waking up hungover or still drunk, destroying my body at Waffle House, and hating myself, I did something different this year. I got up and ran. That was how I spent my first morning of 2012. That is how I raced epic.

To me, this is about a change. Resolutions are temporary at times. Changes should be permanent. Race Epic is yet another opportunity to help effect that change, a permanent change, and take my life back. I got up and ran a 5K, something I couldn’t do at the start of 2011. The crazy thing is that it isn’t over yet. I have a 20 mile ride waiting on me at 2pm.

Friends, 2012 is ours to take back. I say lets do it. How are you going to race epic today?

35 Notes/ Hide

  1. hinukshines answered: That’s such a cool way to start the year - and how much money did you save?!? Great effort - well done indeed! :))
  2. sabbyrunsatl answered: This is exactly my history with booze and I’m also ready to end it! Congrats and Best 2012!
  3. rookcanrun said: Awesome start to the year!
  4. 99pounds answered: I couldn’t have said it better myself. So glad I was running a 5k in good company this morning (despite the 8 hour distance). :)
  5. runningwithguts said: WHAT’S WRONG WITH WAFFLE HOUSE?! Kidding. Mostly. But seriously: I am so proud to know you, if only virtually. For now.
  6. rfgr-26 said: This is perfect Jason.
  7. thisfearlesslife said: You are incredible!! Loved reading this!
  8. runnerftw reblogged this from ourtimetochange
  9. queenbliss said: Let’s do this. I”m looking into races in my area again. Haven’t done that since 2008!
  10. ourtimetochange posted this

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