I Have Another T-Shirt

I ran the Jogger Eggnogger 5k yesterday - the first race of the Winter Trilogy. Kelly, my #1 fan, ran with me. The weather was much more cooperative and I actually shaved 1:30 off my overall time! But more importantly, I got another t-shirt.

The rest of the day, I thought about what a crazy thing it is to be the proud owner of two 5k race t-shirts. Who would have thought that when I started the Couch-t0-5K program in August that I would be entertaining the notion of running not one, but four races in a month period?

It is, quite frankly, ludicrous.

At the White Rock Marathon Race Expo, I found a really neat vendor: I Run Like a Girl. I love, love, love their stuff - unusual for me, because I'm not really a "stuff" kind of girl. But they posed a question that's haunted me for over a week: "I Run Because..."

How do you answer that?

I suppose I run because Kelly runs. I like him, and I want to do the same things he does because I like spending time with him. He likes golf. I learned to play golf. He loves music. I've listened to his collection and started to enjoy adding to it myself. He runs. I started to wonder if I could also run.

I run because I never thought I could - and I refuse to be defeated. Just because I haven't done something, doesn't mean I can't do something.

I run because I don't like limitations. I don't want my body to tell me NO and I don't want wake up one day and realize I no longer can do what I like because I allowed apathy to define who I am.

I run because the little voice in my head says: "You should quit now." Every step is a victory. Every 1/4 mile is a triumph of my will and determination over my basic nature.

So I suppose that's really my answer.

I don't run to win the fight against breast cancer. I don't run for girl power.

I run because deep inside, I fear that I can't. Every step I push through on a run tells me that I can do anything, if I stay focused, work hard and don't lose hope.

And isn't that what life is really all about?