Carnival of Runners

There’s a moment when you cross the finish line of a race, and you’re all excited, and maybe you see your favorite cheer squad cheering or maybe you just blew away your old PR or maybe it’s a half-ironman and you pulled it off and there’s snacks and swag waiting on the other side and you’re sweaty and breathing hard and smiling or maybe there are tears streaming down your cheeks, and you think, this is great. No really, this is fucking awesome, this running thing. I mean, really. Fucking. Awesome.

But moments only last, like, a few seconds. And most of the moments that make up your running career aren’t the one where you triumphantly cross a finish line. Most of the other moments are just putting one foot in front of the other a lot of times.

Sometimes, like A.Maria, we have motivation problems.

Sometimes, even the most determined and hard-core like Wil feel creeping doubts.

Some, like Ed feel the pull of family. BD1, with a newborn and a toddler at home, is all too familiar with fitting 25 hours into 24.

And yet?

Right foot in front of left foot. Rinse and repeat.

Even though it was ridiculously hot.

Because there are boys watching.

Because there’s a race coming, and, even an injury can’t disguise the determination in Stephanie’s eyes.

Because it’s possible.



Edited to add: Apparently, Naomi = not so good with the links, (thanks for catching the broken ones, Derek!) but all of them should be working now...