Life's been stressful as of late. The state of Illinois hasn't been kind to higher education and my employer, EIU, has been hit especially hard.
Last year, when the marathon I had been training for was called 3/4 of the way because of storms, I received a free entry into this year's. And like last year, spring marathons require training in colder winter temps and cool spring rains. It's not ideal and I did a lot of whining about it last year. This year, however, with the events at the office, I've welcomed the chance to run long miles, if not for the training, for the time to decompress.
The best part about running is it keeps me physically young. I've run races with my boys (my youngest runs XC and is quite good at it - he keeps it real when he runs with me); and I train and run races with some pretty amazing women. I'm the oldest of the lot... by quite a bit. Every run is an adventure – if it's not the miles themselves, it is the random mule, or horse, or home with 200+ potted trees and shrubs artfully placed. You will never know what you might see along the way. The best part? After every race or run, the time spent with my boys or my friends leaves me refreshed, rejuvenated and motivated for the week ahead.
