Last Sunday I ran the Staten Island Half Marathon. What should have been a relatively easy run and a PR accomplishment turned out an extremely painful experience. I suffered an ankle injury on mile 7 that not only slowed down my pace a great deal but had me limping through the last two excruciating miles. Unfortunate is an understatement; I could go all drama queen on you and say it was far more catastrophic in my world, as I failed to qualify for the New York City Marathon next year. I did PR though, limping across the finish line to a new time of 1:36 and missing the qualifying time by six minutes. Drat.. was all I could think through the haze of pain and tears brought on by a pain far more potent than that of my ankle. And, as I could hardly kick myself..too painful.. I had to be consoled with the thought that I would eventually be proud of me, after the pain and disappointment ebbed.
In spite of all that went down on Sunday, I have to say that something pretty special happened out there on the course and when I crossed the finish line. It reminds of one of the reasons why I run; the camaraderie of the runners, their encouragement, the cheers and support of the crowd motivating me to press on, to not give up.. I’m in awe. Had it not been for them, I would not have made it across that finish line. To the special soul who hugged me from behind and encouraged me along.. what a beautiful thing to do.. and to all who came up to me after the race and congratulated me on my determination and finish, you guys are my inspiration. You rock!
Here’s to you…
runningwithfaith 