After a pretty full first half of the day this past Tuesday I finally hit the roads for a run just before 6 o’clock in the afternoon. I would have liked to go trotting on a nearby trail, but the recent rain had flooded some of my favorite footpaths and left them unnavigable until further notice. Slight disappointment aside, I made my way down the hill and toward the cemetery, a typical start to nearly all of the random road runs that originate from my house.
As I made my way into the cemetery, my thoughts turned toward my Mom, whom we laid to rest in this place some 21 months ago. Nostalgia always seems to set in when I approach the St. Luke section of the cemetery, and a sense of calm comes over me as I stop at Lot 4 and share a moment with my mother. I always immediately feel at ease during this brief respite in my run, and it’s comforting for me to be able to reflect on past memories and consider future possibilities, all the while feeling Mom’s powerful presence and undying influence. It’s an experience that even the most wonderful words won’t do justice, but it’s as magical a moment as I’ll ever have in this life.
Running has provided me with many of these magical moments throughout the 13 years I’ve involved myself in the activity, and not a day goes by that I’m not thankful to call myself a runner. Beyond my competitive career and the hundreds of races I’ve run since high school, running has become a huge part of who I am and what I do on a daily basis. The run itself is time to myself, or time with friends, and provides moments of clarity that otherwise escape me during the craziness of the day. I’ve laughed and cried, made plans and solved problems, been inspired, gotten pissed off, forged many a friendship and learned a lot about myself and others while on the run. Neil Young put it best…
We’ve been through
some things together
With trunks of memories
still to come
We found things to do
in stormy weather
Long may you run.
- Neil Young