16.2, 17.2, 13.2...with maps!

Over the past few weeks, we've really been upping the mileage and, suddenly it seems, running 13 miles feels like a short little jaunt!

Probably one of the most self-affirming runs yet, took place 3 weeks ago when I did a 16 miler by myself, at 5:30 in the morning before work! I was going to Vermont for the weekend and had to get my long run in before I left if I wanted to do something other than running while I was away. I was rather wary of running 16 miles on my own -- my trepidation was much more a questioning of my mental toughness than it was a fear that my legs would hold out. I'm realizing more and more that distance running is much more about mental resolve than it is physical endurance. So, you tell your body that it has no choice, and you just do it. And I did! And not only that, but I got it all in by 8:30 and still was able to get in a full day of work and 5 hour drive to Burlington!

The run brought me down to Harvard Stadium, where I grabbed some water from my usual workout partners who meet there a few times a week, and then eastward down the Charles towards the city, where I was blessed with another gorgeous Boston sunrise! I also took a spin through the Copley area, where I got to watch the city as it started to wake up. I always experience great ambivalence while running through Copley, torn between enjoying the beauty of the place and always cognizant of the numerous homeless citizens whom I always encounter. I feel so fortunate to have been born with the privileges I have experienced and am so often frustrated that this reality can't be shared by everyone. I know that Sport in Society works to create better realities for all, which is why I am so honored to be on the SIS marathon team. And though my small bit of fundraising will never get us to the point where we can finally realize our ultimate social justice mission, perhaps the very fact that you read this will inspire YOU to act in some way (whether it be to donate, volunteer, or treat someone else with dignity) and then I will feel like I have done my duty.



Then, last week, we kicked it up ANOTHER notch and did a 17.2 miler as a group. It seems that every week, one of us is leading the pack, and last week it was Suzanne who was on fire, despite having 4 hours of sleep. I wanted so badly to feel great, but my legs were just incredibly tight from the cold. We did it, though. We told our bodies we were finishing one way or another and we did.

The 17 miler started out at Arlington's Fresh Pond, which requires extra attention due to the ridiculous number of dog-walkers. The run itself was quite a pain, since it seemed all sidewalks were covered in snow and ice. We were either dodging traffic or slipping on sidewalks, either of which I'd take over running against the wind along the Charles, which we wound up having to do from miles 12 -14 ish! I never knew someone's face could hurt so badly!



Since we did a long one last weekend and have an even longer one (18) next weekend, we just had a "short" one this week...."short" meaning 13 miles. Although we had an amazing warm front come in today, it waited until the afternoon, which meant it was still only about 17 degrees when we set off. While I don't mind the cold in general, it takes an incredibly long time for my legs to get warmed up and feeling good. So, while mentally I was in my prime and feeling great, my shins were burning for the first half of the run (the fact that it was almost entirely up hill didn't help much). Overall, however, it was a gorgeous run (taking us through Brookline and the Arboretum) and we were all amazed by how short it seemed compared to our first 13 miler just a few weeks ago!



In all earnestness, I wish that all people could experience this realization, the recognition that after a little effort, so much of what we once thought impossible now seems like a cake walk. I write this because we as a society so often put off working for change because, well, it just seems too impossible. But how long ago were we saying that having an African American president would be impossible? How many people said that women earning the right to vote would be impossible?

As T.S. Eliot wrote, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” To me, the idea of activism and challenging unjust norms is all about finding out how fare WE can go by risking the criticism, the questioning, the rejection. Because, as Thich Nhat Hanh, writes, "The tears I shed yesterday have become rain," meaning that it often requires pain to get to happiness, moreover a level of happiness that, like rain, helps others grow.

Yes, sometimes my legs might burn during a run, but how much better will I feel during the marathon because I have put in the long, painful training hours? And, yes, sometimes people might laugh at the idea that athletes have a special opportunity to create change, or might resist accepting shifts in commonly accepted paradigms because it is natural to fear the unknown, but isn't it our responsibility to face these challenges if we know that doing so will lead to a better life for everyone? There are so many ways that sports have the potential to foster social justice and I have actually been quite amazed at the level of reflection my marathon training has afforded me. And I hope that in reading my musings you are somewhat inspired to reflect and ACT upon these same ideas...without having to go through the actual physical pain!