Today has been amazing, but I need a little break. I'm relaxing on my chaise to take the pressure off my feet while my fingers chat away with the keyboard of my new MacBook Air (told ya I was a good girl this year). We're expecting a few friends and their children in two hours. Right now, I'm enjoying the silence. Ava is playing quietly in her room, Alli is napping and the husband is on another one of his beer seeking adventures. Here I am. What a great day! A few weeks ago I was invited to celebrate a friend's birthday in true running geek style - run 13.1 miles on her day. I didn't hestitate to jump on the opportunity to spend a few hours with lovely ladies doing what I enjoy. Although I had a few jitters that usually precede a race, I didn't stress about the run. Instead of following my typical pre-race rituals, I threw that out the window. I felt reckless (read: rebel), but my lack of organization didn't distract me.
Most of us started together to run the entire route. We donned matching hats (thanks, Shannon!) and left our cars behind. As with our regular runs we chatted about anything and everything. At the end of our first loop, we tackled THE HILL...at the birthday girl's request, of course. Our feet carried us over the back of the mountain until our heads crested at the top for a brief pause before heading down the front side. Over the hill. Check.
We picked up a few more runners for the second loop barely disrupting our pace. The additions didn't alter the chemistry of the pack; it just got better. More chatting followed laughter and some rolling hills before we, again, challenged THE HILL...ahem, at the pressure of the birthday girl. We happily obliged. It's clearly my opinion that this climb seemed easier. I think the adrenaline of knowing that we were almost done helped push me up that hill. As if I had a ton of rocks strapped on to each ass cheek, I barreled down the other side. With just a 1/2 mile to go, we created a short loop and headed to the parking lot. The pack was met by a cheering crowd ready to give us medals for a job well done. Two pretty girls (birthday girl's kids) hugged their Mom as Dad stood back with a smile. The pride we felt for her and the outpouring of support we saw lifted our hearts. What an amazing day!
This morning, we ran for health and friendship. Cheers to my new-found am runners. I never imagined that I'd meet a great group of women WHO ACTUALLY WANT TO RUN AT 5 AM DURING THE WEEK!!! Thank you for keeping me on 'pace', so to speak, and welcoming me into your circle. Most of all, thanks to the birthday girl for showing me that age is just a number (I will just have to keep telling myself that).
We do, however, need to figure out how we can get four + treadmills and a coffee pot in one room when bad weather strikes.
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