I'm 52. And Getting Wiser.

wis·dom

ˈwizdəm

noun

1. the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

   synonyms:

   sagacity, intelligence, sense, common sense, shrewdness, astuteness, smartness, judiciousness, judgment, prudence, circumspection;

   • the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

     
     

     "some questioned the wisdom of building the dam so close to an active volcano"

     
     

     synonyms:

     sagacity, intelligence, sense, common sense, shrewdness, astuteness, smartness, judiciousness, judgment, prudence, circumspection;
   • the body of knowledge and principles that develops within a specified society or period.

     plural noun: wisdoms

     
     

     "the traditional farming wisdom of India"

     
     

     synonyms:

     knowledge, learning, erudition, sophistication, scholarship, philosophy; lore

I'm 52 years old and finally getting wiser. Not wise, but closer to wise than stupid. I've been a stupid runner many times in my past. Many stupid choices have led to injuries and burn-out. And I haven't learned from my many similar mistakes. I just keep repeating idiotic choices. Hey, let's do a long running streak. I should race an ultramarathon without training. Beat my 20-year old 5K personal record, sure! Nope.

I almost made another bad decision this morning. I was on a morning run before work. Typical stuff. Except this run was going really well. Felt strong, pace was steady, seemed effortless. It's been a long time since I've felt this good on a run. As I was gliding up and down hills on the trails, I thought to myself...maybe I can run the 8-hour Howl at the Moon ultra next month. It's only 8 hours of running. Fortunately, my wiser self stopped that ludicrous thinking. No, I am not ready. Today is one good run. Why not explore why this run feels so good and try to repeat this experience? Be smart. Be wise. Step at a time (literally). Enjoy this run? Then repeat this kind of run again. I'm paying better attention to my mind and body. Listening is what a wise person does before making a decision. How do I feel? Should I skip today's run? Go easy? Gradually push harder? Walk the hills? Running, and life, is a series of questions. It's worthwhile to listen, think, and make wise choices. Repeat things that go well. Revise when things don't go well. Simple stuff, right?

I have finally become wiser. I'm certainly older. Of course, being older never stopped my stupid thinking, scheming, and outrageous ideas that led to past problems. I've turned a corner. Maybe 52 is my mid-life crisis, or mid-life epiphany. A turning point in my evolution as a wise, serious, happy runner. I sure hope so! (It's about time.)