A Tale of 2 Halves.

This sounds eerily similar to just about every WVU Men's Basketball game I watched this season. However, it was also the way my day of running progressed today. I was running for my sister today, which was quite fitting for how the run turned out. The run today was a microcosm of our relationship from my birth until now. At first, I thought I was going to die, and there was a nagging pain that wouldn't go away. As I traveled further, the pain slowly subsided, and a sense of calm and peace came over me. As the run was nearing a close, I found myself not wanting it to end. It reminds me perfectly of my sister. On a more serious note, today's run certainly was a test of my mental toughness in the face of tough physical circumstances. I developed a slight cramp in my left calf at the end of day 1. The cramp transferred straight into day 2, with more ferocity. By mile 6 of today's run, the cramp was golf ball sized, and I was half limping each step I ran. If I had to stop for street crossings, I could barely get going again. By the end of mile 8, I was nearly in tears as I jogged/hobbled to the van parked at a gas station. It was there that I met a Marine and his family, I doubt by coincidence (gotta thank the good Lord). I never did get his name, which is a shame, although he and his family did get a business card of mine. I hope they happen upon this blog, because at just the time I was near tears, and mentally breaking down, this Marine and his family were there to offer words of encouragement. And he, the Marine, thanked me. I am still humbled by thanks I receive from soldiers, because I am doing this as my small way to thank them. That meeting came at just the time I needed, and it quickly snapped my mind out of the defeatest attitude I'd been allowing myself to run with today. As I finished the first 10 miles today, there was a difference, both physically and mentally. The cramp that had hobbled me so badly, started to hurt a little less. At the same time, my mind turned away from the selfish thoughts of my little "ache" to the sacrifices our soldiers make everyday, and the physical, mental and emotional pains they deal with for months, even years on end. By the time I began my second 10 miles this afternoon, there was a much different feeling in my body, and in my mind. As the second 10 miles melted away, so did any pain I was feeling in my body. My shoulders sucked back a bit, my chest bowed out a tad, my head raised up, and my stride actually lengthened. Suddenly, and to my complete surprise, I was a confident runner. It is a feeling I haven't felt in so long, I can't even remember. For the first time in a while, I actually felt like a runner again. As I finished the second 10 miles, the emotions overtook me, and I found myself staring at a beautiful sunset overlooking March Air Force Base, crying. I stood there in awe, of a lot of things I guess, just crying, but tears of happiness. It's the first time in this journey that I truly felt confident that I could finish this run.