I had been struggling to come up with a topic and content for this month's newsletter.  It was as if the grey, wet funk of October had permeated the creative portion of my brain.  But then we had the bluebird day of Saturday, November 5th, the Mount Jumbo Elk Ramble 15K and the Mountain Running Film Festival.  Suddenly, I was filled with inspiration and aspiration.

 

As the Elk Ramble got underway, it was great to take a minute to reflect back on the fact that 20 years ago our community took the first steps in creating the amazing open spaces that we have in Missoula.  In 1995, Missoulians approved a $5 million open space bond.  In the background, Five Valleys Land Trust (and many others) were working to secure parcels on Mount Jumbo to turn over to the City for public ownership.  In 1996, it all came together and the first significant chunk of Jumbo was set aside for permanent enjoyment by the public.  From there, the City and County open space programs have progressed to include lands on other sections of Mount Jumbo together with Mount Sentinel, the North Hills and the South Hills.  And, soon to come, a huge swath of parcels on Mount Dean Stone.  How can you not be inspired to live a fit, active, healthy and outdoor lifestyle when we have such amazing spaces right on the edges of town?

 

But, the light bulbs really started to pop while watching the amazing films that were part of the Mountain Running Film Festival.  We were so fortunate to be the Missoula premier of The Hard Way about local legend Bob Hayes.  The segments about his running were fantastic.  But, what moved me most was how the filmmakers handled Bob's touching memories of his wife Ann and her losing battle with Alzheimer's.  The film inspired me to not be afraid of doing the hard things.  And, it left me with aspirations of doing so with Bob's grace and dignity.

 

The Elk Ramble was a gorgeous day with amazing vistas of Mount Jumbo, Lolo Peak and more.  Incredible performances with people of all ages and abilities pushing their limits.  A sense of community took hold as runners hung around after the race, ate grilled cheese sandwiches and recounted their performances.  This was followed just a couple of hours later by the incredible energy of almost 600 folks taking in the emotions, scenery and stories presented during the film festival.

 

In the midst of the film festival, my mind was racing with all that I had experienced that day.  I took a moment to jot down some thoughts to try to help capture the moment; and, here's the results of my quick and dirty brain dump.  Inspiration.  Alzheimer's.  Perseverance.  Crown Continent - Holy C$^p.  Go Big.  Humbling.  Open Spaces.  Amazing Day.  This is where we get to live and play.  Days like this are why we do this running thing.  Push Your Limits.  So Spectacular.  Community.  Big Adventures.  Grinding It Out.  Never Give Up.

 

In the end, I've given some thought as to how to distill all of this great "stuff" into a couple of overarching themes.  I'm left with the inspiration to continue to live a fit, healthy and active lifestyle and to encourage others to do the same.  All while aspiring to be better at getting out and taking on the occasional challenge of pushing my limits in the amazing open spaces that we have in Western Montana.

 

I hope you'll join me in seeking out adventures on our roads, tracks and trails

 

Tony