July
7, 2005
Top
10 Things I Learned During 7in7on7!
 The
older I get, the more I realize that the important things in life are
the same things my parents told me were important when I was growing up.
I just didn’t believe it at the time. Running seven marathons in
seven months on seven continents allowed me the opportunity to experience
the truth of those early lessons in amazingly vivid and profound ways.
With heartfelt thanks to my mother and father for their wisdom and patience,
here are the top ten things I re-learned during “7 in 7 on 7.”
1.
Make up your own mind (or at least get a second opinion)
I celebrated fellow-runner George from California’s 79th birthday
with him in Beijing at the Great Wall Marathon. Twenty-five years ago,
George’s doctor told him to stop running. George found another doctor.
As he put it, “If I’d listened to the first guy, I would have
missed out on the best 25 years of my life.”
2.
It’s better to give than receive (and a lot more fun)
There was no more poignant moment than when the American runners noticed
the deplorable condition of the Tanzanian runners and began taking off
their own running shoes to offer them to the Africans.
3.
Eat right and get plenty of exercise (yeah, I know, but its true!)
I met a lot of runners who used to be overweight and out of shape. Most
said they weren’t unhappy that way, but all of them said they’re
much happier now. I’m going to write a new diet book for Americans
and it’ll contain four words – Eat less, exercise more. Is
there a correlation between the fact that there are 16 million bicycles
in Holland and 16 million people and you don’t notice many overweight
people? Is there a correlation between the fact that we have shuttles
that pick us up at amusement parks in the US to take us to the front gate
where we’re met with funnel cake and corn dog stands? I think so.
4.
Always keep a hand for the ship. (Whatever you do, be careful!)
Learned this one on the way to Antarctica on the Russian icebreaker Ioffee.
The Captain said, “If you fall overboard, swim for the bottom. Drowning
hurts less than freezing to death, and you’re going to do one or
other if you go in the water.”
5.
Listen to what other people have to say (you just might learn
something new)
I met people from every walk of life from nearly every country in the
world. Each one I spoke with had a fascinating story to tell. If you give
a person the gift of your time and attention, the result is a blessing
for both of you. Like Ruth from Alabama – 65 in 1995 years old and
never been out of the state. She decided she’d raised her kids and
now it was time for herself. She banked a year’s worth of vacation
and on January 1, 2000 got on a bike and rode it around the world, visiting
47 countries. She now runs marathons at 74 and kicked my butt in Antarctica.
6.
Keep busy (you only retire from the job - not from life)
If you stop giving, you stop receiving; it’s as simple as that.
The “retirees” I met have lives that are fuller and more rewarding
than when they worked. Community service, they said, is the reason is
why. As one man told me, “Retirement is like marriage; it’s
not the end of something - it’s the beginning.” Retirement
in the traditional sense is a pretty selfish act.
7.
One person can always make a difference (be a good ambassador,
wherever you are)
It is possible to change the world (and change the perception of America
abroad) by performing one small humble act of kindness. I saw it happen
a hundred times. One was the occasion I mentioned above, when we gave
our running shoes to our (much faster) African counterparts. America made
some friends that day.
8.
There’s no place like home (and your family is your home)
My friends know about my Blackberry addiction. (Linda: “Only Joey
emails from Mt. Kilimanjaro.”) I felt at home when I shared my experiences
with my wife and children, even though I was 5,000 miles away. Even better
was when my son, Grant, joined me to run the Australian Marathon. He also
reminded me that the best present a parent can give a child is a look
of pride after a job well done.
9.
God exists
All the pain, suffering, and unhappiness around the world can occasionally
make you question His existence. But there is so much natural beauty,
joy, and kindness out there, too, that you can’t deny there’s
a divine agent behind it all somewhere. There is a harmony and balance
that isn’t accidental. It’s His work and ours, and we have
much left to do.
10.
You DON’T always need to use sunscreen (even in Africa in
the summer)
OK, our parents were wrong on this one. In freezing rain at 19,500 feet
on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, sunscreen is totally unnecessary. Warm
milk, however, would have been nice - just like Mom said
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