Almost two week ago, Casey Neistat put out a *classic* Casey video called [Sisyphus and the Impossible Dream](https://youtube.com/watch?v=9IiTdSnmS7E). It's all about Casey's love/passion/obsession with running and a dream/goal/ambition to run a sub-three-hour marathon. I'll let you guess how it goes. I saw a [couple](https://waxy.org/2024/02/sisyphus-and-the-impossible-dream/) folks [link](https://kottke.org/24/02/chasing-impossible-dreams) to this video and I'm sure more people were talking about it on social media.[^1] The piece missing from those links—and the part glossed over by Casey himself—was that the dream almost died six years ago.[^2] Back in September 2017, Casey made a movie about [a story he never wanted to tell](https://youtube.com/watch?v=8-M7WA1qX1g). There was a chance he could never run like he does ever again. Casey was concerned that he may have a similar injury to his sister who was also a long distance runner. His knee was making *very* gross sounds. And Casey talked about his horrific scooter crash that broke his leg in 27 places. It's obviously the same tale: the doctor said he'd never run again. Casey ran. A lot. - 24 marathons - 4 full distance Iron Mans - 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons - Sprint distance triathlons - Olympic distance triathlons - Half distance Irons Mans And those were numbers in 2017. How many more miles in the almost seven years since? But he never mentions the sub-three goal. In that video you can even see a [3:03:17~ time](https://youtube.com/watch?v=8-M7WA1qX1g&t=272) at the 2013 New York City marathon, which [pops up](https://youtube.com/watch?v=9IiTdSnmS7E&t=283) in the Impossible Dream video. There's a bit in the *finding out i can never run again* movie where Casey speaks with conviction about his desire to run. > You see, this city, my life, life in general, family, friends, the noises, the distraction, my work, everything is nonstop. Everything in life is just absolute chaos—and I'd have it no other way—but through all of that mania, through all of that chaos, there's one consistent, there's one thing that's mine. One thing that I absolutely can't live without. One thing that makes me sane. One thing that grounds me, and that one thing is running. In all that conviction, there's fear creeping through. Casey was scared of losing this cornerstone in his life. In his words, he was scared of losing his sanity. It wasn't about some dream, it was about his life. > Sorry I don't have a real ending. Trust me when I say, your desire to find out the conclusion to this story is nothing compared to my desire to find out the conclusion to this story. Not a week later, he shared a video about the [prognosis](https://youtube.com/watch?v=vE-mcsfxLhg). The news was Casey could keep running. So he did. Cut to today and it is marathon after marathon with no success. After the first marathon, he made changes to diet, habits, and routine. After hitting 40-years-old, he made changes again, albeit more important than his diet, habits, and routine. Casey stopped trying to reach the goal "alone." I put alone in quotes because I'd put money down that Casey has had coaches, friends, and mentors along the way. I don't think he was ever alone in his pursuit of becoming a better runner. But doing it "alone" wasn't cutting the mustard. Casey needed help. Casey needed community. Casey needed accountability. He shared the weight of his dream and succeeded. And I've been learning that lesson myself as of late. I've taken the opportunity found in [[An Update – November 2023 Edition – Where's the Writing?|losing my job]] to restructure, rebuild, and grow. I've been apart of this [Practical PKM cohort](https://www.obsidianuniversity.com/cohort) by [Mike Schmitz](https://mikeschmitz.com/about/). I've started journaling. I've gone back to counseling. I'm working on being intentional with my life, family, and goals. I think that's why Casey's video resonated with me. You can't shoulder the weight of your goals, dreams, and aspirations alone. You need help. You need community. You need accountability. I need help. I need community. I need accountability. I think those three are vital to reaching your impossible dream. Don't chase it alone. Don't wait until you are 40 to get after it. --- [^1]: But being off social media means I am in the dark (liberated?) from the second by second conversation. [^2]: Glossed for story/editing purposes, I wager.