HI GANG! THIS MORNING I RAN MY FIRST (POST-SURGERY) LONG RUN OUTSIDE. I WAS NERVOUS. AND,WEEPY AND SCARED OF FALLING IN ONE OF THE GAPING POTHOLES, EVIDENCE LEFT ON OUR STREETS FROM A LONG-HARD WINTER. BUT, I FINISHED MY 15, AND EVEN NEARED 16! I WAS SANDWICHED BETWEEN TOM DONALDSON AND JODI ROPER. MY "WING-MEN" PROTECTED ME, AND EVEN HELD ON TO MY HANDS AT TIMES, IN THE ROUGHER TERRAIN AND CURB STEP-UPS. WE LOOKED LIKE WE REALLY LOVED EACH OTHER, AND WE DO! BUT, WE MUST'VE BEEN A SIGHT TO SEE: THREE RUNNERS HOLDING HANDS AND SMILING. WE LAUGHED AT WHAT PEOPLE WERE THINKING WHEN THEY DROVE PAST US.
WE HAD A NICE PACE (AVERAGE OF 9.05, BY MY GARMIN), AND A REALLY NICE RUN. THEY KEPT ME GOING WHEN, TOWARDS THE END, I WAS CRAMPING AND MY LEGS AND SHOULDERS WERE SHOT. THEY WENT ON TO FINISH THEIR 20 MILER. THEY'RE TRAINING FOR BOSTON IN APRIL.
NEARING OUR FINISH LINE, WE SPRINTED INTO COURTS PLUS, AND I BEGAN TO SOB. I THINK I SCARED A COUPLE OF PEOPLE, WHEN THEY SAW ME CRYING. ONE WOMAN CAME RUNNING UP TO HUG ME AND TO SEE IF I WAS FEELING OK. I QUICKLY REASSURED HER HER, "I FEEL AMAZING. TIRED, BUT GREAT." TOM CHIMED IN, "THESE ARE TEARS OF JOY," AND THEY WERE. I SAT IN MY CAR, AND CALLED MY HUSBAND, THEN MY MOM AND JUST BAWLED. TEARS OF JOY AND HAPPINESS AND THANKFULNESS...
I NEVER DREAMT I'D BE TRAINING FOR ANOTHER MARATHON, JUST 4 MONTHS AFTER TWO BRAIN ANEURYSM SURGERIES AND WITH THE VISUAL DIFFICULTIES THAT UNEXPECTENTLY CAME WITH THEM. WE'RE ALL A GREAT DEAL STRONGER THAN WE REALIZE. WE CAN DO THIS. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US HAS IT IN US. OUR BODIES AND MINDS ARE FULL OF WONDER AND SURPRISE.
BY THE WAY, MY TEARS OF JOY HAVE BEEN FLOWING QUITE FREELY TODAY. I ONCE WROTE: "CRYING IS A GIFT..AND I'M VERY GIFTED." IT'S TRUE. I ADMIT IT. I'M A CRY BABY. A SISSY LA LA. BUT, I WALK HUMBLY, KNOWING I WAS GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE AND I WILL KEEP DOING JUST THAT...AND CRYING, ALONG THE WAY, TOO.
IT'S ALL PART OF THE PACKAGE...
BLESSINGS TO EACH OF YOU, AS YOU LIVE HARD AND KNEEL OFTEN!
KATHLEEN
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Congratulations! What a great accomplishment. Can't wait to hear how the big race goes in May!
ReplyDeleteKathleen - I happened upon your blog from the Inforum website. Congrats on your successful 15 mile run. I have just started training to do the 10k in Fargo this year. I have never ran a race. I am not a runner and never have been. I had been holding off on registering just to see how my training went before I committed, but after reading a little bit of your blog it was the motivation I needed. Thank you for that! I look forward to hearing more about your journey. Best of luck!
ReplyDelete