Thanksgiving Day Run // November 24, 2007

This is a little late due to a broken link but we're up and running now.

I woke this morning to the sound of this ancient (well, that might be a little harsh – its at least as old as me…) “talking alarm clock.” It announced the time, “It’s seven twenty-five” and then proceeded to make a sound not unlike a brutally sick African elephant charge… at least that’s what it sounded like to me. It was so loud that my father-in-law asked me, “what in the world noise that was coming out of your room so early??”

I drank a cup ‘o coffee and updated my Nano on the couch. With my in-laws doubting my sanity, I left for a long run.

My Thanksgiving Day run.  (Click to hear the podcast!)

I couldn’t ask for a better morning to run. It occurred to me as I ran that I walked last year. It’s a great thing to do on Thanksgiving – its cold up here and it had rained last night but this morning dawned overcast and lovely.

I ran till the sidewalk ended, adjusted direction and kept running.

I’ve been nervous lately. I can admit that online. My brother-in-law told me he could never keep a blog because he’s too private. I guess its my therapy. I’m nervous because it’s all happening at one time. We put our house on the market at the worst possible time (the Nov-Jan time frame combined with a massive slump in the housing market), I am transitioning from the Reserve Component to the Active Component and will be moving to Missouri very soon – this all with the hope that we won’t have a large break in service while I wait for orders! We are getting out of debt and saving for the inevitable break in salary while they separate me from one component to the other and to top it off – we’re having a baby!! (Hoping for a pre-new years birth…)

I’ve been chewing my nails more of late. I do that when I get nervous. Well… that’s being kind – I chew my fingers. It’s a gross, dirty habit that I am working very hard at breaking since I don’t want my kids to follow suite (I’m winning the struggle btw) but its not easy.

After about an hour, I got the six-mile-cramp. It used to be the half-a-mile cramp, then the two mile, three mile – now it’s the six-mile-cramp. It hurts. I kept running.

I talked to God. My theology of prayer changed while I was in Iraq. In a world where good people are summarily slaughtered every day while going to work and trying to eek out a living in a war zone, young men and women put themselves in mortal danger to protect them and themselves, millions starve, people are destitute, cold and hungry – is it right for me to ask God to sell my house for me? (Oh, and while your at it God, would you make sure to bring a higher than average price so I can get out of a bad decision without having to pay? I mean, I know that I didn’t exactly ask about this the first time, but I’d really like a bail out if your giving them away… oh, and help the starving in Africa but please don’t let any politician send me over there. I don’t want to die in Sudan…) You see the problem.

The Cramp stopped and the Charlie horses began. In Earnest. My right foot started throbbing. I kept running. Every time my throbbing foot hit the ground, pain shot up my leg. I kept going.

There was a dad getting out of his car, his harried wife was multi-tasking. She grabbed kids who were piling out and putting on coats, hats and shoes while explaining to her husband (who was switching between keeping kids out of the road and pulling out this wonderful smelling roast out of the back) how grandma was going to… I ran out of earshot. The pain in my foot transferred to my knee. I kept running.

I run five miles at a time, three times a week just to maintain my current weight. Today, I was determined to run farther than I had ever run before at one time.

I thought about this blog and how I would describe this morning. It was purifying, this run, this penitence I pay for the food I eat. I began to feel energized. The pain in my knee went away and suddenly, I felt like I could run all day. I don’t think it was a high, but I passed ten miles and knew in that moment that I had run farther than I ever had at one time. It was a powerful moment.

I ran along the river. Alan Alda read his book about finding meaning in life (without God I might add) into my ears. Interesting read I’m sure but I found my meaning elsewhere.

I passed houses with various political signs up. I thought of my continuing frustration with politicians making me and my compatriots (soldiers) into elements of the political machine instead of people – I guess I expect that of politicians – what really bugs me are the pundits who don’t care for anyone but themselves. I hear them talking about caring for troops and patriotism; I shake my head – put on a uniform, serve someone other than yourself and your perspective changes…. Forever.

But then, I smiled. I prayed for my brothers and sisters in arms today, far from home, far from loved ones, far from peaceful runs along the river. God help them. Protect them. Bring them home. Safely.

I’m glad the pundits say what they say. We serve to protect that. I’m glad that dads and moms can drive wherever they want, cook whatever they want, and worry about jobs and the like.

I ran in freedom this morning. As cliché as that sounds, it was sweet, rich and full of life.

When I got back to my in-law’s house, I had been gone for over two hours and ten miles. When I stopped, my sense of forward motion doubled me over and I about hit the sidewalk. I walked for a bit, controlled my breathing and thanked God for another day of life. Another day of health. Another day with my family.

What else really matters?