I love this interview with Adam Goucher.http://www.flotrack.org/speaker/24-Adam-Goucher An amazing professional runner whose wife Kara is equally as talented. This alturistic account of what it's like to face realizations that your sport does not define you, your successes do not define you. The letdown that competitive athletes face when they come down off of the high points in their career or face this he struggles of decline in their athleticism as "life takes over"' is something that only those who experience it can understand. It can be a gripping paralysis on your self understanding and affect how you see your role in all other aspects of your life and even your relationships. This can obviously be compared to all of the other things we find identity in and how necessary it is to maintain a healthy perception of the way these things do and do not define us. Ultimately, our truest identity is in God and how we live lives of love, especially for those closest to us. I think the way Adam Goucher discovers this selflessness for his wife and family (they are proud parents now!) with his identity as a runner at the backdrop...and be able to put those pieces together and abandon his "self" to something greater than himself is a true mark of holiness. I can relate to this type of struggle and it touches my heart and inspires me to strive for this same type of perspective. Running doesn't define me but it is a big part of my spirituality and I am thankful that God can use it to teach me lessons about love, sacrifice and holiness.
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