Marathon Kindness

Right now it feels like I may never walk properly again - and really that is no exaggeration. Today I started - and finished- a half marathon (The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon). Two weeks ago the longest distance I had ever run in my life was 8 km, so in preparation I did two 14 km runs. I'm really thinking right now that maybe two weeks wasn't quite enough preparation! I was okay up to 15 km, 16 km was tough, 17 almost killed me with the thought that I still had 4 km to go.......and well at 18 km I could feel the nail of my left big toe being pulled up my sock and every step was agony, I expected to see blood seeping through my shoe.

Apparently the pain was written all over my face because my running mate and good friend Lisa looked over at me, pulled out her cellphone (yes, miraculously she could still talk at this point!) and called my husband who was waiting at the finish line with our daughter, and told him I needed some encouragement. So it was by her kindness, encouragement and support that I was able to cross that finish line.

Here is a photo. The glazed, glassy eyed lady with the pink hat is me, Lisa is in the middle and her brother-in-law Ken on the end. Ken and Lisa have both done the race in the past, and I think Ken does it every year, which might account for their unstrained smiles. Thanks guys for a great day!



(I won't include a picture of that big toe!)
(my time was 2 hours 11 mins)

Day 23 of 31