Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

Ultrarunning and Life’s Lessons

Growing up is a marathon not a sprint – Drive and Determination

These are ‘fun’ words says daddy.

Drive – not a car or truck, but yourself.

Determination – a mind made up that can’t be changed.

Daddy says that once you start something there are always a lot of reasons to give up, to stop.

Too tired. Too hard. Too far. Not what I expected. Life. Distractions.

Lesson:

Drive and determination will help you to succeed.

There is usually one overriding reason to keep on going – because you have decided to do so from the outset.

Daddy says that on very long runs or very long training seasons, and even very long races there are many temptations to give up, stop, or go home. But there is usually one reason to keep on going. Because you decided beforehand that you would.

People ask daddy what he thinks about on very long runs and races. I mean when he is pushing himself for 5, 6, 8, 10, 20+ hours.

“What do you think about, Belew?”

“Nothing. I just keep pedaling. Or putting one foot in front of the other.”

“Why is that?”

“Because if I start thinking my mind wanders to the pain, or the job I have to do tomorrow, or the inability to do something else if I keep pushing myself and maybe break something.”

“Oh…”

“The best thing for me to do is just keep making progress with a commitment to not think until I am done.”

To finish something hard, easy or otherwise – Nothing will beat having decided to finish the project BEFOREHAND with no option to reconsider while in progress.

That’s determination.

Drive is reminding yourself again and again of your commitment to finish.

Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.