Saturday, June 30, 2007

A Different Point of View

Today was our first all group run at South Mountain Park in Phoenix. There were about 30 or more runners, plus another 10-20 cyclists that were preparing for the Team In Training triathlon. It was a grueling 10-mile run (5 miles out and back) of rolling hills. I keep complaining about the temperature, but it was brutal. On the 5 mile return, it was close to 100F at 7am. I imagined running in San Francisco, looking out at the ocean and feeling a cool breeze.

After the run we had a chance to meet with the other teams, plus the honorary team members for the fall season. I was really grateful to be able to hear each of the honorary team member's story. Before I joined TNT, I ran for myself or for my egocentric need to win. Now I realize I'm doing something much larger outside of my little world.

Imagine having a chronic leg cramp only to find out it is leukemia. Thinking about the fatigue, the pain and all the other side effects related to cancer treatment made me grateful for my health. Oftentimes we take our health and our bodies for granted. I am the first to admit, I push myself too hard without enough recovery. What I've learned throughout this program is to respect what my body can do.

There are millions of people out there who's only wish is to rid their body of disease. For all the rest of us, we have the choice to have a healthy lifestyle.

Until next time... We are getting close to the 16 mile run, I'm so excited!

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