A Religious Experience

I had what I call a 'religious' experience yesterday evening and this morning. I pushed my body to a place where it has never been before. I completed an 11-hr Relay For Life (cancer fundraiser) by myself. I'm not sharing this, because I want people to perceive me as some macho man or b.s. like that. I'm sharing this, because I learned something about myself. For perspective, I cleared well over a marathon distance, closer to 2 marathons. Funny, thing is before this run the longest run I did was more like 10 miles. At times during the relay I had to walk so that I could eat and drink water/gatorade, but in all my time in sports, running, surfing, soccer, etc, I have never experienced what I experienced last night and this morning. When I started, the end goal seemed impossible. I remember at one point thinking "10 more hours of this...can I really do this for 10 more hours?" 3 hours later, I had no doubt left. Something last night changed in me...something changed forever. Although there are physical limitations imposed on the body, the mind, it is so wonderful, so incredible, so capable of overcoming incredible obstacles. "Mind over matter" are no longer just words strung together; they have meaning to me. I can now look somebody dead in the eyes and say such words with true and honest conviction. Today, I have paid for being on my feet for 11 hours. It has been difficult to move around all day but not impossible. My minor injuries will heal. The lessons, however, will stay much, much longer.