I know that
after 26.2 miles, I had to concentrate on climbing the stairs to get on the bus
that would take me back to my hotel. I
had to trick my legs into lifting because they didn’t want to do it on their own. I literally stared those stairs down and
determined my best strategy. I didn’t
run an additional two miles to give blood.
But, I would have. Because, I am
a runner. I train to be stronger than I
think I am.
And, I wish
I could finish this post by just saying that focusing on the heroes has helped
me. It has. But, I have to be honest and say that the events of the past week have evoked fear in me. And, frankly,
they have left me angry. Running is this stable
force throughout everything else in life.
It’s the period at the end of a lot of exclamation points. Those final .2 miles are important. It pains me to think they were tarnished with hate.
So, I ran on
Saturday. And, I smiled and waved at every single person I saw while I was
running. I’m not sure why, but I swear people were excited to see my
smile and wave. I felt the running family growing with each kind gesture. There is still a long
road ahead full of healing for so many people within this family, and I wish I could do more. But,
I will continue to do what I can - put one foot in front of the other and gain strength in
miles.
I always think of these words from Martin Luther
King Jr. in times like this: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do
that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
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