A while ago, I ran a 10k race, under extreme conditions.

I participated in the Cow Harbor Day Race in Northport Long Island. My brother in law was originally supposed to run, but for one reason or another, he bailed and asked me to take his spot. I accepted, with little training time to prepare.

I like to take on periodic challenges that test my basic levels of health and fitness. It’s good to get a reality check to see where you’re at.

Worse case I could just run it slow. So I ran the race and he got the credit in the newspaper!

Anyway, tropical storm Ivan ended up having its 2 hour dance in Long Island, during my 2 hour race. The final mile was a downhill and as I finished the race, I was accompanied by runners close by on both sides of me, because just outside of their space, was a 1ft river of water rushing down the street on both sides; flash flooding from the torrential rain we were in.

I crossed the finish line, having run a good race in extremely wet conditions to say the least, and within a hundred paces, I was up to my pelvis in water.

It was utterly thrilling!

This experience was a beautiful thing for a variety of reasons.

Some may think this was crazy, but I still saw hundreds of spectators lining the streets, just as crazy as us runners. Windows where open along the route, blasting songs like chariots of fire. It was inspiring. We were all alive, having a time of our lives!

I hadn’t prepared to run that race and relied on my basic fitness levels; the beauty of being fit, always! It was an adaptive day to say the least. My legs were screaming in protest as I pushed them to a new threshold given my recent training.

The following two days were an exercise in basic walking, but because I gave my self proportionate recovery time, ever since, I’ve been stronger.

The extreme conditions in which I ran the race, made it extra difficult, but since then, things that may have been difficult that are going on in my life, seem relatively easy, by contrast. This is the beauty of being fit to take on ever bigger challenges; it develops your entire personal threshold for whatever is going on in your life.

And now I have an experience that I can reference for all future challenges that will enable me to perform at higher levels.

While it was painful and I was wet, and paid a price for two days amidst a full life and business schedule, this experience under extreme conditions, was invaluable.