Marathon Training

Yesterday I did a step-back run of 14.5 miles, and I don't really remember how it was going or really anything about it because at mile 11 my friend Miriam called to tell me that she had had her beautiful baby girl, River.

I laughed and cried and stumbled along the trail talking to Mirm on the phone and hearing the happy gurgles of her baby nursing in the background, and my heart was so full of joy I wanted to hug random passers-by.  I am truly grateful that I carry a phone with me when I run for safety reasons, because it let me be available and connected even in the middle of a long run, three miles from home.

Running is a wonderful escape, a great way to meditate, to get away from things, and to focus on yourself for a few hours.  But I'm glad I was reminded that I don't want to run so far away that I lose sight of the people waiting for me when I return, and that it's good to be able to reach out to them or be reached by them when we need each other.  It is a blessing.

It's been a rough few weeks for me, and running has helped a lot, but the thing that has really gotten me through is the support of my loved ones and my ability to share in the joy of their lives.  The sudden and miraculous existence of a tiny little person 200 miles away, a person who doesn't even know what her own hands are or how to sit up, was a thing that transformed me.  After Mirm hung up to finish feeding her new daughter and I wiped the tears from my eyes, I ran home like I had wings on my feet and the whole world was sparkling.

Welcome to the world, River.