What can you accomplish in two hours? If you live or have family in California, it might feel impossible to do anything for more than a few seconds without worry crossing your mind. Wildfires have devastated multiple communities.
My sister and her family received evacuation orders from their Altadena home. At the time of this writing, fires have not reached their property.
One report states that fires destroyed over a thousand acres in hours. Consider helping this family from my Capoeira community who lost their home.
It took Eliud Kipchoge 1:59:40, almost two hours, to finish a marathon in 2019. In the best weather conditions, with proper training, clothing, competition, and nutrition, it's a feat difficult to repeat.
One of this year's fitness goals is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. To achieve this honor of competing against elite athletes, I must run 26.2 miles in less than 3 hours on a certified course before September. Training has begun.
On the morning of December 31, I pressed the start button on my watch and began a two-hour run. As I took my first few steps down the block, I opened the Audible app and pressed play on Ta-Nehisi Coates's book, The Message.
Have you read it? Random House released it on October 1, 2024.
The sentences in Coates's latest book placed warm feelings of admiration in my head and heart but failed to reach my extremities. As I ran in temperatures of 30 degrees Fahrenheit, my cold hands trembled with desire for a hot cup of coffee and time to write. I found inspiration in how Coates weaved his political viewpoints formed in America into his traveling experiences in Africa.
In the opening chapters of his book, I received multiple messages. This next phase of life will require the best version of myself. I must continue writing to improve and make meaningful contributions to liberatory causes.
Intangible ideas took form as I pounded the pavement and connected to nature.
Coates illustrates that writers can create awareness, entertain readers, inspire movements, and transform lives across geographical borders.
In one section, he discusses how his books reached the continent before his first visit. At a workshop, a Senegalese graduate student shared how she had studied his writings and gleaned the nuances of racism in America.
The experience illuminated the power in his prose.
While I ran for the first hour of my workout, Coates poured knowledge into my ears and almost distracted every other part of my body from the moment. His claim about the ability to communicate with the ancestors through writing captivated and convinced me to continue.
On the return home, I switched from Audible to my marathon playlist. My running soundtrack included the voices of David Goggins, Questlove, and Lupe Fiasco. A combination of raw motivation and hip-hop challenged my understanding of masculinity, distracted me from the cold, and pushed me to end 2024 strong.
After two hours, I did not come close to Eliud Kipchoge's record, but I ran 15 miles. I walked into the house with steam evaporating from underneath my sweater. The warmth didn't last long.
Outside did not compare to the winter storms in the Midwest or the fires in Southern California, like this week. However, I wanted to stay indoors and recover. It's been eight years since I’ve experienced winter temperatures less than 70 F.
But when duty calls, we must be willing to get uncomfortable.
Within moments of walking in the door, my wife said we needed to leave and get the children vaccinated for school. I checked in with my insurance carrier to ensure we had coverage, showered, and dressed.
Later, I realized that I ran one mile for every year of marriage, which I also celebrated on New Year's Eve. Instead of fancy dinners and elaborate gifts, we spent the day traveling between pharmacies to ensure the children had vaccinations to attend school for the first time in the US. We shared a carry-out meal at home, recognized the Kuumba Kwanzaa principle, and headed to bed before the countdown to 2025.
It wasn't our most romantic anniversary, but another message became clear. I could not have chosen a better woman to do this life with. After reading the last two sentences of this post, watch our latest vlog episode chronicling our transition from the US to life abroad and now our return home.
In January, carve out two hours to track your activities. You will receive revelations and achieve results.
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