The Magical World of Running

Step step

Step step

One foot in front of the other

Keep going

A little further, to that bus stop, to the tree, to the mailbox

Weight on toes, Weight on toes

Dang - A heel step!

Step step

Step step

Hello, Good looking!

Big smile

Oh wait … breathe breathe

Damn, stitch!

Deep breath in, deep breath out

Step step

Step step

CAR!!!!!

Step step step step step step

Phew, smile …

I've always hated running. Actually, I've never been very good at sports. I was the kid who tried a new sport every year but despite all my best efforts always warmed the bench. My mother would never let me quit. “You don’t have to do it again next year but you do have to finish what you started this year,” she’d say. So, my poor coaches would be stuck with me for a season. My tennis coach put it best. We were at the end of year banquet and he’d gone around and said nice things about every player. He finally got to me and there was a long pause while you could tell he was really searching for the right words (I’d hit him in the head with the ball accidentally three times throughout the season and most of the time he was a good two or three courts away when it happened!) and said “Dash, you suck but you have a great attitude!”

But over the last few months I've taken up the act of running outdoors and I'm strangely starting to enjoy it. And no, it’s not just the Clapham eye candy that keeps me coming back for more but the ridiculous feeling of accomplishment I feel at the end of a nice long run.

Now, my success rate depends almost completely on whether or not I have a running buddy. I'm learning (for me) running is more of a team sport than I’d ever imagined. I do not have the drive or desire to keep going without a trusted buddy by my side and I'm lucky to have a great few. My drive comes from not wanting to let my buddy down or ruin his or her run. My drive is the fight to not want to be left behind or the jealousy of knowing the person who keeps going will be finished with the task before me. So, when running with a buddy, I keep going. I push a little harder, go a little faster and find a way to escape my body and work on auto pilot. And now I'm starting to understand the appeal of running, the rush and desire to do it again, the addiction to escaping and just doing. It’s a high worth fighting for!

While I've been averaging about 4.5 miles a day, my biggest accomplishment so far was a charity 10K my running buddy and I participated in this past Sunday. It was cold, windy and wet (and the free t-shirt was orange). The course was a 5K loop, so when all the 5K runners were being cheered across the finish line we got to run right by and do it again. The mental game to keep going was a new challenge but we pushed each other onwards. She pulled me through the first loop and I pushed her through the second. Teamwork, I tell you! We managed to cross the finish line at exactly 1:00:42.

While we were not the fastest or the strongest runners on the course we felt a great sense of accomplishment and the desire to find the next run and beat the next time.  Even now, I might never find a desire to run a marathon or even go farther than a 10K, but I am pretty proud that I've tackled my passionate hate for running and crossed over into the land of the people who “get it!” Who knows, I might just call myself a runner one day …   

Loves of my Life

I received a Valentines’ card from an old friend this year and in it she wrote “you've been a love of my life for over a decade” and then proceeded to reminded me what true friendship is all about. Her words couldn't be truer and I've spent the last few weeks thinking about all the loves of my life.

I've always said good friends are hard to come by but lifetime friends are one in a thousand. These are the people who know who you really are and put up with you (dare I even say; like you) anyway. The people who don’t judge you when you make a bad choice but let you cry on their shoulder and then tell you how awesome you are despite your stupidity.

I've realized good friends don’t ask questions, pry or enforce their opinions; they listen and support. They stand up for you even when they know you’re wrong, but hold you accountable for the future. They don’t point out your flaws, but constructively guide you towards the light. They are not judgemental, they are forgiving and they love unconditionally.

I am one lucky lady because I am surrounded by the most amazing, genuine, selfless, heartfelt people who remind me consistently that I am wanted where ever they are. As we say in the South, ‘my cup runneth over’.   

So, to all my loves – thank you! I hope I am as good as friend to all of you as you've been to me spanning over the last 28 years!