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Sunday, April 14, 2013

Second Annual RunRaleigh Half Marathon

Today featured another predawn morning. Today I drank coffee, ate a bagel, and danced joyfully from foot to foot in anticipation.

Today I ran my twelfth half marathon.

(Today, thirty years ago, my mother was wondering why she wasn't in labor.)

Today I ran the race showcasing my favorite half marathon route in Raleigh. Today I thanked the stars that it was cool, it was dry, it was calm.

Today I laughed hard when I read the sign "Running is stupid" because nothing is further from the truth.

Today I ran my last race of my twenties, alongside 1200 other runners.  Today I hoped to PR overall but was confident my course record would be smashed.

Today I once again threw up a prayer of thanks for my health. Today I laughed and celebrated loudly - the gift of running, the beauty of this life, and the strange ways of the universe.

Today I ran a 1:52:45 - came 23 seconds shy of beating my Richmond time - and shaved over 7 minutes off last year's run time. (And today, I didn't walk up the dreaded hill on Ashe.)

Today, though I struggled, I finished well. Today I heard countless spectators say, "That's right!That's how you do it - run with a smile."

Today, I smiled. I smiled big because on mornings like this, I know I've lived a good life.

And today, I'm reminded: it's only going to get better.

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