Steve asks: Why do we need goals? and I’m going to answer with some lyrics from a Miley Cryus song, as lame as knowing the lyrics to a Miley Cyrus song may be:

There’s always gonna be another mountain
I’m always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there,
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb

I’ve pontificated about this before, but Steve’s post for this weekend and my overall weekend experience have me thinking on the subject again. I think we, or maybe I just mean I, have to be striving to be living, to be engaged in life and not sleep-walking through it. As Miley says, it’s not the mountain; it’s the climb.

This was a weekend where all that uphill slogging paid off. Friday I ran five miles at my marathon goal pace (leaving a mere 21.2 to go). Saturday I led a pitch I’d previously backed off of and didn’t even find it hard. Sunday I ran off-road with Steve and Kevin, not comfortably but without slowing them down much. Monday morning I have sore glutes, bruised knees, memories, and, always, goals.

Hi Coroner, 5.9 (P1, 2 & 3: Dawn)
Try Again, 5.10 (Todd)
Coexistence, 5.10 (TR)
Pink Laurel, 5.9 (P1: Todd; P2: Dawn)
Something Scary, 5.10 (Todd)
Double Clutch, 5.9 (TR)