I finished. This past Sunday I participated in my second half-marathon. A few days before, family and friends asked, “Are you ready?” It was difficult to answer this question because in all honesty I really never know whether I am ready to run 13.1 miles.
The first few miles are always inspiring. I always notice who runs with me. There were women in pink and yellow tutus, hula skirts, and ones who ran in honor of a loved one. Some ran with their kids, while others sported various shirts reflecting the charities that were dear to them. One man wore a Happy Birthday hat, the number 57 proudly screaming alongside the rim. Running doesn’t discriminate. It appeals to the young and old, the physically fit and disabled, and all shapes and sizes.
As I hit the ten mile mark, my legs ached and the bottom of my feet began to burn. On the right, I noticed the mountains of Papago park. The curved and red formations were extraordinary, but my feet wobbled as I felt the incline under my feet. At that point, I wanted to stop. But I didn’t. I kept moving forward.
That’s what it is all about. Every single time when I run, I feel it. This need to keep moving forward because it is the best way to celebrate life. To embrace breath and acknowledge the ability to run. It’s that simple.
I run because I can.
Welcome! I am a lawyer turned freelance writer, essayist, and editor. On staff at Literary Mama and the co-founder and co-editor of the literary journal, The Sunlight Press, my essays and reported work have appeared in The Washington Post, The Lily, Saveur, Civil Eats, Brain, Child, ESPN and elsewhere. I am currently at work on a memoir on grief and culture and how it provides perspective on life’s ordinary graces. I invite you to appreciate the ordinary with me. I hope my daily practice of seeing the magic in the mundane helps you celebrate and find more of these moments in your life too.
Rudri….I absolutely love this blog!!! Running is in my blood and I feel exactly the same way!!! I don’t only run because I can but I run for those who can’t. That is what I think of every time I run, those people who would love to be able to get out on any given day and go for a nice, easy, relaxing run! Thanks for sharing you thoughts!!! I enjoy them!
Trina
Congrats Rudri!! Thanks for sharing yourself here, always inspiring! XOXO
Good job!
Awesome, Rudri! What an inspiration you are! You have much to be proud of! This is truly a great accomplishment, you go, girl!
So awesome Rudri!!!!!!!!!!! So happy for you, Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m very proud of you!! Congratulations!!! Keep it up. Love, Mom
I really don’t enjoy running…until I remember that I can. You said it perfectly. Congrats, Rudri!!!
13.1 miles! Holy Moly! I think that’s fantastic!!!
Congrats! Such a long way to run – I am impressed. Well done:)
Awesome! Congratulations! That is a huge achievement,
Good for you! I was tempted to run a marathon just to see if I could, but then changed my mind. I’m a speed walker and avid hiker. Running really hasn’t ever been my thing.
Congratulations, Rudri! It’s so easy to quit in today’s Western world of conveniences but here you are inspiring me to get out there and use my legs for the simple reason that I can. I feel your exhilaration! xx
Congrats! Good for you Rudri. I am hoping to pick up running in the spring. If I finish a 5K, it would be a miracle. A half marathon? Wow!
I just love your blog. What an accomplishment to run a half marathon and also to appreciate the joy in the mundane-ness of ordinary life. It surely is a gift. Ever since I had a health scare this fall I have been grateful for “boring” days with my family. The ordinariness of the days, purely joyful. Thank you for sharing!