With this episode I’m off and running on my 9th year of podcasting. Did I think that I’d still be at it after all this time? To be honest I didn’t really think about it...I just kept on producing the shows. Clearly, this isn’t the same Phedippidations that it was back in 2005...alot has changed with the writing, recording, production, sound quality, processing, sound effects, music sounders and beds...not to mention the changes in the life of the host. We homo sapiens are funny when it comes to change, and I’m not talking about “Funny Ha Ha”. I think to a certain extent, many of us go through the course of our lives in blissful or less denial on the topic of change...I know I’m guilty of that...so I’ll speak for myself. Intellectually I understand that change is constant, but in my heart I try to ignore that truth. I have always preferred to belive that I live in a secure, understandable, familiar and unchanging life and lifestyle...but that’s a fantasy...the truth is that every day and every hour brings change. The way to become happy in life, is to be mindful of this change. Parents with young children experience such change to the extreme. Those of you with new born and young kids must cherish these moments...for when I warn you that they will pass by much faster than you can possibly imagine, you have to belive me. I don’t mean to bum you out...but almost literally tomorrow your babies will be full fledged adults, and you’ll have the nest to yourselves...it’s a little freaky at first, but it gets better...it really does. It’s these transitions in our lives that shock and awe us...but they shouldn’t. I’m talking about our “fear of change” here, something that the buddist nun Pema Chodron writes about in her book “When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times” She writes: “We’re always trying to deny that it’s a natural occurrence that things change, that the sand is slipping through our fingers. Time is passing. It’s as natural as the seasons changing and day turning into night. But getting old, getting sick, losing what we love—we don’t see those events as natural occurrences. We want to ward off that sense of death, no matter what. When we have reminders of death, we panic. It isn’t just that we cut our finger, blood begins to flow, and we put on a Band-Aid. We add something extra—our style. Some of us just sit there stoically and bleed all over our clothes. Some of us get hysterical; we don’t just get a Band-Aid, we call the ambulance and go to the hospital. Some of us put on designer Band-Aids. But whatever our style is, it’s not simple. It’s not bare bones. Can’t we just return to the bare bones? Can’t we just come back? That’s the beginning of the beginning. Bare bones, good old self. Bare bones, good old bloody finger. Come back to square one, just the minimum bare bones. Relaxing with the present moment, relaxing with hopelessness, relaxing with death, not resisting the fact that things end, that things pass, that things have no lasting substance,that everything is changing all the time...” She’s right of course...I’m hardly an enlightened soul, but I do understand that everything is changing all the time...and that includes Phedippidations. I’ve recieved thousands of comments about this show over the years, and one of the common subject lines mentions a listeners unhappiness with the many changes that I’ve made with the show. I cannot, and will not apologize for that, because it’s not something that I have control over...part of the reason I have no control over this is because we’re going through a journey here, together. Like it or not, you’ve been listening not only to my rambling diatribes and presentation of road races and running related topics...but you’ve been listening to the story of my life, and the lives of my friends and family. I could have made a better effort to sheild you from all that...having worked in commercial radio broadcasting, I know first hand how the private lives of Dee-Jays and Talk Show Hosts are often hidden from the audience. But I didn’t want to do that here, because this is a conversation for and about runners. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Too many of the professional and corporate production houses who have entered this space...as I knew they one day would...continue to follow the tired, old way of broadcasting content. Many or most are afraid of being complely open and honest, and until they do...they’re always just going to be a radio show pretending to be a podcast...or netcast...or RSS driven audio enclosure....whatever you want to call it. Can we agree that the “pod” in “podcasting” is no longer relevent? As my life has changed, this show has changed. As this show has changed, our relationship as host and listener has changed...and I like to think that this change is, or will be, for the better. Someone asked me recently “How long will you continue to produce Phedippidations”...and there is an answer to that: “until I’m finished”. That could mean until I’m physically unable to produce the show, or it could mean until I’ve reached the end of our journey together...it doesn’t really matter. I’ll miss you, you might miss me...but rest assured, somewhere up ahead of us in the near or far flung future, is the last episode of this podcast. We should find comfort in that as we should find comfort in all the alpha and omega moments of our lives. When Ani Pema Chodron suggests that we return to the “bare bones” in our response to change, she is suggesting that we live for the moment, every moment...that we learn to relax and not resist the fact that change is constant and that everything comes to an end. Nothing in our lives remains the same, ever...so if you like something, hell...if you LOVE something or someone, an experience you’re having or once had...cherish that thing, person or moment, now...right now...and relax...be better for the experience and move on as the world moves on. And yes, I am the pot pointing out that the kettle is of a darkened hue...but as runners we have an opportunity to think deeply about change...change in our lives, change in our friends and families lives...and even something as goofy as the changes with a podcast. Links: Friend, Fellow Runner & Wine Freak: http://neilbearse.com Song Episode Date Published Song Title Artist 1 Fdip295: Dr. George Sheehan – Facing the Future Sept 8th, 2012 All My Days Alexi Murdoch 2 Fdip296: Motivational Gadgetry Sept 20th, 2012 Let Them Feel Your Heart Beat A Silent Film 3 Fdip297: What is this thing called, Love? Oct 13th, 2012 Tomorrow Black Lab 4 Fdip298: The Problem with NSAIDs Nov 10th, 2012 The Day Moby 5 Fdip299: An Honor to Run with You Dec 2nd, 2012 Further Long-View 6 Fdip300: A New Hope Feb 1, 2013 Run, Run The Rivals 7 Fdip301: Unwrinkling the Runners Soul Feb 28th, 2013 Good Men A Boy and His Kite 8 Fdip302: As Fast as We Can March 22nd, 2013 As Fast as You Can Our Lady Peace 9 Bonus Track Learn to Dance Andrew McMahon Intervals between episodes can be found at steverunnerblog.com In Vino Veritas with http://www.coachjeff.com.au/ at http://www.thewinechatpodcast.com/ ONLY IF YOU LIKE IT: (But PLEASE, only if you can afford it!) Phedippidations is supported monthly through the kind and sincerely generous financial support of 70 friends and fellow runners: William, Vera, Katie, Heather, Ryan, Chaise, Gordon, Scott, Mike, David, Jeff, Colin, Jason, Diane, Cheryl, Ron, Mark, Martha, Greg, Jim, Tim, Bill, Michael, David, Doug, Vance, Brad, Marcelo, Shawn, Roberto, Zaki, Jan, Margaret, James, Norm, Simon, Albert, Janice, Andrew, Pam, Rob, Teresa, Glenn, Trey, Steve, John, Angie, Al, Toni, Martin, Lynn, Nancy, Matt, Eric, Claudia, Jim, Kara, Robert, Dino, Joe, Martin, Rich, Sarah, Tom, David, Pierre, Maria, Hisham, Andrea and one Anonymous fellow runner! THANK YOU! {http://support.steverunner.com} Follow me on: Blog: http://steverunnerblog.com Stream: http://stitcher.steverunner.com Apple App: http://iapp.steverunner.com Android App: http://android.steverunner.com Support: http://support.steverunner.com