My good friends Kate, Mike and I
did a “Boston Strong” run in memory of the victims. It was in one part running
for those who can’t and another part running to keep ourselves grounded in
appreciation for what we have. We endured 9.5 miles of rolling downtown KC hills;
we ran from the crossroads over to Union Station and the Liberty Memorial up to
Westport Rd through West Plaza neighborhoods down to the Plaza and back up Main
Street to Crown Center leading back to our office, our theoretical finish line.
The weather was perfect for a run,
sunny with a cool 55 degree breeze. With the hustle and bustle of life around
us and the chaos building in our legs we overcame the distance. None of us had
run that far this season so we were overly aggressive in our plan of attack. Mike
had no idea what we had in store; we said “it’s better if you don’t know” and
he blindly followed, and naturally, he owned it. I love running with Mike
because being new to the city so much is new to him. He takes in his
surroundings, curious about every building, every fountain and every
neighborhood. My buddy Kate was also in town from Colorado so the hills didn’t
slow her down. Training through the trails of Golden, Colorado her legs were
ready; the distance was new, but the elevation change was not. The three of us
together endured and overcame the throbs and kept pushing as a team thinking
about those that didn’t have the option.
Hitting the finish-line, proud of
our accomplishment we high-fived and went on our separate ways. Later, as I sat
in my living room rolling my muscles out I couldn’t help but smile at the pain.
This throbbing ache in my hips was a reminder that I have a lot to celebrate. It
doesn’t matter how fast or how strong, it’s how hard you try.
Be strong in mind, muscle, and
heart. Respond, endure and overcome.
