Yesterday, I ran a solo 13 miles. Something I don't often do. Solo runs are a rarity around here. I ran it alone by choice. I needed to prove to myself that I could run for two hours with nothing but me and my thoughts. That I can carry myself through the run. And I learned that I can. But that run taught me something else.
It taught me that I take running for granted. It has become this thing that is so ingrained in every aspect of my life, that I just expect it to be there. But I shouldn't be that way. Things can change. And I should appreciate how good things are now. I should appreciate the little things that running contributes to my life. The sanity. The strength, both mentally and physically. The freedom. The structure. The friendships. The really cute outfits.
And beyond that, I need to be more grateful for all of those in my life who make my running possible and those who make it enjoyable. I am fortunate to have a husband who understands and fully supports my running. He gives up his weekends so that I can travel to races. He gives up sleeping in so I can escape for early morning runs. He gives up his evenings with me because he knows that I am just too tired to stay up. He gives up eating what he wants, because I force him to eat what he should. He's a runner and he gets it. And I am thankful for that.
And I am thankful to have such an expansive group of runners in my life. Yes, I chose to run 13 miles by myself, but I didn't have to. I could have reached out to a number of people who would have been happy to join me. People who would have helped the miles fly by. And I should appreciate them more. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a training partner, nevertheless a group of runners from which to pull. I am fortunate. And I will no longer take it all for granted.
