(Virtual) Race Report: 3W Heart Throb

Charity: Athletes Serving Athletes
Finish Time: 0:44:13

Running has been a mostly solitary activity for me. Much of this is by choice--I work as a public servant and I'm mommy to an amazing but very talkative girl; running has become a mental reset and moving meditation time.

The other half of this equation is that, even though I post my times, to run with someone else makes me feel vulnerable--there's no way to hide how short my intervals are, how out of shape I still am.

So when a friend offered to run this race with me, I took the risk to be vulnerable.

I met her at a park. Mister watched our collective children play while we hit the nearby trail. The view was lovely! (I totally geeked out with a hawk that swooped close to us.) The conversation was wonderful. And, yeah, I felt pretty lame walking as much as we did, but she never made me feel bad about it. It was the company that mattered.

I am convinced that the first step to amazing things is vulnerability.

All this to say, thank you, Antoinette, for offering, for prodding, for tolerating, and for just being plain fun. Let's do this again!

Speaking of friends, one of my dearest friends ran this same race several hundred miles to the north of us. Natalie and I have known each other since we were twelve. Even though we don't see each other as often as we like, every time we do, it's like picking up the conversation where we left off. Funnily enough, our journeys toward fitness have converged as well. I'm proud of her--I always have been. Today, though, I felt another special tie.

There's a very old song that's been going through my head several days now:

Make new friends, but keep the old;

One is silver and the other gold.

You both are good for my heart.