It was cold and windy and rainy this morning when I woke up. And after only two training runs this week, I wasn't excited about the prospect of going for a SEVEN mile run. But then I checked my email and with some checks being entered into the system late yesterday, I realized that I was over my fundraising goal!! Both Karly and I have already exceeded our goal due to so many people providing incredible support. It was enough to boost my spirits and get me moving when I would have much rather stayed in a warm & toasty bed.
Our run was along the waterfront again and the first half of the run was, well, cold and windy and rainy. As I plodded along, wishing I had a baseball cap on to block the rain from eyes, I was thinking how it was pretty incredible it was that this was the first really rainy run that I've been on. Plus, there were easily 200 other runners out along the waterfront--not only Team in Training but all the other very hardy Portland runners who go out rain or shine. And so I just kept going, past the lovely warm smells coming from the Portland Saturday Market food booths, past my old Enron stomping grounds and past the other cold runners.
On my way back, when the rain took a merciful respite, a long train hauling military tanks and rigs was crossing the Steel Bridge, heading in the opposite direction as I was:
Our run was along the waterfront again and the first half of the run was, well, cold and windy and rainy. As I plodded along, wishing I had a baseball cap on to block the rain from eyes, I was thinking how it was pretty incredible it was that this was the first really rainy run that I've been on. Plus, there were easily 200 other runners out along the waterfront--not only Team in Training but all the other very hardy Portland runners who go out rain or shine. And so I just kept going, past the lovely warm smells coming from the Portland Saturday Market food booths, past my old Enron stomping grounds and past the other cold runners.
On my way back, when the rain took a merciful respite, a long train hauling military tanks and rigs was crossing the Steel Bridge, heading in the opposite direction as I was:
It felt like a scene from a war movie--the battle preparations were just beginning and nobody was quite sure how it would end--except of course that after the struggle, their side would be victorious. And so, after completing the longest run of my life (so far), I feel battle ready. Ready to take on more rainy runs. Ready to take on more miles. Ready to keep training for all those families who would much rather have to go for a measly run in the rain than fight such an ugly disease. And ready to believe that our side will be the victorious one.