What Now?

It's done. And all the training and building up, it's all over. There's always a bit of a post-race let down, I've especially noticed it after the marathons I've run. Your training and preparation build and build, culminating on the day of the race, and when you cross the finish line, your done. That's it. Done. All those hours, all those miles.

I think it is this after race let down that keeps people racing and competing. The drive to "do just one more," even if the last one was painful or resulted in injury. Runner's always have that question eating away at them: "Could I be faster? Could I do better if…?" To some extent that nagging question is what keeps me racing. But more than just striving to do better, I actually really love running. I do, I really do.

When I was running on Saturday in the rain, sloshing through and around puddles and up and down hills for thirteen miles, I found joy. Joy in the fact that God created an amazing body that is capable of so much more than we often imagine Joy in the green trees and the leaves which have sprouted from gray, bare branches, seemingly overnight. Joy in the runners around me: the man in front of my talking lovingly of his "fairy princess" daughter, who dances in her tutu in his living room. Joy in the thought of my husband and daughter and parents waiting for me at the finish. Joy in the way that when I told my body to run faster it did. Joy in thanking the people who came to the edge of their driveways to cheer on the runners as they ran by. Joy in the dude standing on the top of his car playing his ukelele and singing. Joy in the moments when at each mile marker I realized I was ahead of my goal pace. Joy in the moment of crossing the finish line, breathless and spent.

Days like Saturday--that's why I run. So What now? Run. That's what. Run. Because I love it.