Running to Afghanistan

Our "Walk To Afghanistan" challenge has far exceeded my wildest expectations! As of last month, our Lancer families have walked, swam, biked or run 6,425.21 miles to bridge the 10,644 mile distance between us and our soldiers!  Incredible!  This challenge sparked another.  Our half marathoner and tri-athlete spouse encouraged us all to participate, as a team, in the Clarksville Half Marathon on October 30th.  At first, I humored her, and agreed to send out e-mails to "drum up" participation, not really thinking it would happen.  


The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that I don't have anything to lose by running the race except for a few extra pounds and a mile-high stress level.  I finally made up my mind that I would run as I was driving home from Indiana last July.  I immediately called Kris; you can't set a goal without telling someone to hold you accountable.  Kris decided that she was game as well.  It didn't take long before we had a Lancer team five strong of Lancer spouses committed to running the race!


I dove into training head first.  Because of my sweet little monkey girl, I knew that I would be doing the majority of my training on the treadmill while she napped.  Aside from occasionally sprinting to the sound of my screaming baby over the monitor, I found the training to be hugely therapeutic and a welcome stress reliever.  I followed the Hal Higdon "novice" schedule to the T until the day of the crash.  At that time running was the very last thing on my mind.


Frantically trying to keep my head above water, I gave myself permission to back out of the race.  I didn't want to add the feeling of failure to the already mixed bag of downer emotions that I was coping with.  I decided that I would run the 5K instead.


Last weekend, I joined up with the Lancer lady half marathon team to train on the Greenway trail.  They were ready to knock out their 10 miler, but I told myself I would just take Emmy for a brisk 3 mile jog.  That was until I got half a mile into running with the girls.  I was overcome with a new perspective.


Running (even up steep hills with a flat-wheeled stroller) is not hard.  What's hard is looking at the lifeless body of the man of your dreams; who to you, has always been larger than life.  What's hard is never again feeling your husband's touch or hearing his loving voice.  What's hard is the new fear associated with unexpected knocks on the door.  What's hard is wondering what the children you'll never have together would look like.  What's hard is assuming the role of mom and dad not just for a year, but for forever.  What's hard is that a yearlong countdown is extended, indefinitely.  Running is not hard.


So, I'm joining the other Lancer ladies in running the half marathon next weekend.  We are running in honor of our fallen. 


I hit the training hard this week, to make up for the 3 weeks that I missed and to prove to myself that I could do it.  Today was the 10K Sango Scamper.  On this beautiful fall morning, Emmy and I joined about 70 other people to run in a local church-run race to benefit Habitat for Humanity.  Emmy, still decked out in her flannel jammies and bed-head hair-do, shrieked as we came up behind other runners as if to say "move over, Mommy's coming through!"  Once she cleared us from the pack, she gave squeals of encouragement as we passed through the Tennessee country side (and left Kix cereal behind for hungry wildlife.)  Cub scouts manned a few folding tables with cups of water and a few elderly men cheered us on from their pickup trucks parked on the side of the windy road.  I relished the small-town charm of it all.


I was so taken with the scenery that I brought Emmy back to my favorite pathway this afternoon.  This time, I made sure to bring the camera...

I met up with one of Nick's buddies (whose wife made him rock a pink wig in honor of breast cancer awareness for the race).

These are for you, my Nick, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for new pics...

The very same look Nick gets on his face when he watches TV

A flair for the dramatic.

Silly girl!

I'm thinking they are going to be gray-blue?

Working on her crawl.

Enough with the pictures already!

Emmy playing in our dead grass.

Molly's ready for Halloween!

So is Darla!

Mouthful of leaves.

Melts my heart.