There are many ways to become inspired and have passion in life. Interests that are taken to a higher level of attention can be termed as “geeking out”. Geeking out simply entails one spending hours thinking, breathing, experiencing, and influencing others about that interest.
I recently returned from a trip to Southern California. In running with my sister and friends in the Inaugural Santa Barbara International Marathon, I realized how amazingly huge the sport of long distance endurance running is! (Actually, what made this observation escalate to higher heights was finding out that people had participated in a marathon here in Sacramento as well as Las Vegas on the same Sunday! Holy smokes batman! I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more events across the country.) Not only did this marathon have over three thousand participants, but there were scores of volunteers and organizers. Many people participated in the marathon, and the whole twenty-six-point-two miles of running!!! (I am a person that abhors running…yet, I got roped into trying this out.)
I am amazed. I was made a believer that this sport has its merits. It doesn’t deserve the negativity I have given it. My sayings would include:
“I get so winded after 50 yards…give me my bike!”
“Why would you torture your body with that much impact?!”
“What in the world are you thinking to subject yourself to that?!”
My ridicule can go on and on.
But I decided to give it a try. Workout after workout on the treadmill, then a few outdoor runs prepared me for the ten kilometer marathon leg. I even participated in a 10k the week before to give me a little bit more experience in running a real event!
I realized I had scratched the surface of a sport in which many are so passionate about. People literally live for the rush of finishing a race, the excitement of random strangers cheering you on, and the satisfaction that you’ve accomplished a physical feat. All the hard work, discipline, and sacrifices made pays off. And of course, the passion keeps the fire burning. Runners talk about the next event they will participate. (and of course talk about the past runs as well!)
Does this qualify as geeking out?! It sure does. Passion drives action. It’s what makes you get up on the morning and gives you a smile that your day is going to be awesome. Why else would one spend so much time, energy, money, and of course sweat to any activity? If it weren’t for this thing called passion, life would be a pretty boring. The world would be a perpetual “meh”.
A yearlong dialog with friends got me thinking about passion. I find that I am spending more time honing in on my passions. Would I continue in the sport of endurance running? I’m not sure yet. I loved giving it a try. I will continue experimenting with this activity. Yet, with so many wonderful activities to do in the world, there’s only so much time. I seem to have a hard time choosing. I suppose this is where prioritizing comes in…but that’s for another post. In the mean time, let’s talk continue to talk about passion.
What makes you geek out?
The Return of the Blog 
Posted by nancy on August 7, 2010 at 08:28
i like this post.
so have you continued on long distance running?
just thinking about what u said in terms of Jesus’s passion for us….how he geeked out about mankind and put in “so much time, energy, money and of course sweat..”
cool!