17 Luxurious Miles... and Counting

I apologize for taking so long to write this latest post. After my last post, some of you were probably thinking that I wasn't able to continue training. Thankfully I was able to continue training and fundraising. I've made the commitment to myself to train for and finish this marathon, I've made the commitment to all those supporting me not to give up, and I've made the commitment to the AIDS Foundation to meet my fundraising goal to help the people who really need our help. To fulfill the last part of this commitment, and to secure my entry into the Maui Marathon, I had to guarantee the funds with my personal funds. And, even though I truly believe in the AIDS Foundation, I'm unemployed and $1,700 is a huge personal donation. So, for everyone out there reading this, if you haven't donated yet and you have the means, PLEASE DONATE NOW!

Speaking of now, we are now up to 17 miles in our training. 17 miles! That's 5 miles south, past the old Coast Guard station, over the animal bridge and almost to the Jackson Park Yacht Club, before turning around and running north back to 31st Street Beach and continuing another 3.5 miles north past the aquarium, the planetarium, Soldier Field, the Buckingham Fountain and the Chicago Yacht Club, then turning around one more time and continuing back south to 31st Street Beach. There's a lot to see and keep us interested along the way. But even running past the Firefighter's Memorial and Police Memorial can't take away the beating pain that running for 4 and a half hours thrusts on your joints. 

So I tried pushing myself a little further by considering the people who don't have the luxury of fitness. I pass these people every day while running through the parks. They sleep on benches, eat at soup kitchens, beg for change, and rarely have the luxury of a shower. I have so few possessions when I run, but those few things are still more than what many of the homeless in Chicago have when they are fully clothed. In addition, I have the luxury of fitness. I am beyond merely surviving. Much of the work that the AIDS Foundation funds is to assist people in these circumstances who also have HIV/AIDS. Now when I run, I try to appreciate this simple luxury instead of treating it as another chore to fit into my days. But after 17 miles - the pain was still there and it still took everything I had to continue pushing forward and running. 

As we neared the end of the run, our group had begun to spread apart. Our fearless leader was eyeing the finish line and continued to plod along, while I struggled to stay within 10 yards of her. At the same time, the other 2 runners in our group were really struggling and lagging back another 50 yards. I was exhausted, but I knew we needed to finish together. So I called Amanda back to me and we waited for the other two. Then with all of the fervor and gusto we could muster, we hooted and hollered all the way across the finish line. And for that last quarter mile, I didn't notice the pain I'd been feeling for the previous 5 miles, because I was so proud that we all were able to pull each other along and finish together. 

In the end: We were barely able to walk to our cars; I was starving; I realized I need a new pair of running shoes; and I took a much needed nap and motrin.