Running the Distance

"It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it." -John Wooden

Together, my wife Laura and I completed our first Half-Marathon on Thanksgiving Day morning. A total length of 13.1 miles or in other terms; 69,168 feet or over 46112 turkeys laid end-to-end. And we completed it with time to spare before the course closed.

What amazes me is a group from C3 Fitness that we trained with for several weeks. Many of these runners were much faster, much more fit and finished well ahead of us. Yet they cheered us on into the finish line well after they had finished themselves. They waited for us and made our accomplishment so much sweeter.

There were also many little things along the way that stick out along our journey as well. And I call it a journey because we not only wanted to finish, we wanted to experience the people and scenery along the way.

- Getting patted on the back very early in the race near Decatur Street by friends from C3 Fitness, encouraging us as they moved forward at a faster pace; being thankful for the friends we have in our life.

- The over weight man on 17th Street, keeping his pace constant, consistent and yes, he completed the run. He wasn't the fastest, but he did what many probably thought he could not; being thankful for the health that we have.

- My wife having a conversation with one of the pace runners on Juniper Street, a writer for CNN and her move to Atlanta from Venezuela; thankful for the safety and freedom we have here in the United States.

- Running past St. Episcopal's Church on Courtland Street and seeing the homeless along the sidewalk eating their Thanksgiving Day meal outside; being thankful for the food on our table and a warm place to sleep.

- Passing Ebenezer Baptist Church on Auburn Avenue; being thankful for God in our lives.

- Coming up the hill on Memorial Drive past the historic Oakland Cemetary and being reminded of all those relatives and friends gone before us; being thankful for each and every one of them for having been in our lives.

- Running down, MLK Drive, a wall of exhaustion trying to deny us and hearing someone shout that a pumpkin was running up behind us; being thankful for the odd and unusual to shake us from being too serious at times.

- Turning the corner onto Capitol Avenue, Laura's hand in mine and nearing the completion of a challenge we took on together; being thankful for each other.

There are many things in your life that will be encountered along your journey. We run the distance together and a finish line will mark the accomplishment. There will be the sadness, the joy and the unusual. Yet the journey will be completed if you just keep running the distance.

Stay inspired my friends.