14 Miles Under My Belt and Some Tears

I am just now writing about my 14 mile group run on Saturday, July 14. It isn't because it passed without having any significance to me, but I simply hadn't made the time to sit and write about it. This is in part because it held so much meaning for me that I didn't know where to begin to convey its importance. I ran at the same time as my other TNT members but without a group. There wasn't any particular reason for my doing this it just sort of happened. Not to mention it was nice to stop for the bathroom whenever I wanted and not have to lose time waiting for whole group of people to go.

Again, it was another sweltering summer day along the lakefront, and yet hundreds of people were out. Moms jogging with their sport strollers, pairs of buddies running together, other organizations holding group runs, older couples strolling hand in hand. There were people sunbathing and those wearing wet suits and practicing laps for triathlons. It was inspiring. I listened to my tunes on my iPod and kept trucking mile after mile. Getting waves and smiles from team members and those at the water stations. I ran and I finished. It was an amazing feeling.

On the way home I shed a few tears for multitudes of reasons. I could make a list of reasons that would go on and on for pages. Was it that my body was healthy and moving with such strength? Or way the lake turned different blues throughout the run? Perhaps the kids rolling around in the sand? Was it the boats floating in the harbor, or the calls of the sea gulls? I guess it was just a little bit of everything that fell upon me with such impact that morning. It was another morning I'll not soon forget.

Jennell