Sunday, Running Sunday

I was worried when I decided that I needed to do my long run on Sunday for a few reasons.

1. I am Christian and a Mormon, Sunday is a special day, one that I should be thinking about God and my relationship with him.

2. I didn't have my usual running friend to accompany me.

3. Part of me still thinks I might get hurt just because I was running on Sunday or maybe bit by a rabid badger (I hear they can smell when you're doing something bad). It could happen.

Well, I didn't get struck by lightning, and there are surprisingly few rabid badgers in the Boston area. Actually, it was one of the best runs I've had in a long time. I started early, and I didn't see a soul for about the first 3 miles. I reached the Charles and the sunrise hit the water and made it sparkle as a lone rower glided through the water. I stayed just behind him for about a mile just hypnotised by the little splash of his oars and I decided right then that for me, it is ok to run on Sunday. The silence of the cool morning, the feel of my body working and the clarity of mind that the repetition of step after step created made it feel like the best kind of prayer. As the river stretched out before me I repeatedly thanked God for my body, for the beauty of this world and for moments of sweet stillness and joy such as that one.

Don't get me wrong, 20 miles is still twenty miles which means it is hard work, but this run had me so excited that (embarassingly) it was all I wanted to talk about for the rest of the day. In fact, I realized at the end of the day that I had squeezed it into practically every conversation I had. Here's an example:

Random person: "Hello! You look nice today!"

Me: "Thanks! I went running this morning, and it was awesome!"

Random person 2: "Hey, do you think it will rain?"

Me: "Not sure, but I ran this morning and I feel closer to God!"

Random person 3: "Your little boy is getting so big!"

Me: "You bet, and I ran this morning and it was the best run ever! I love Boston!"

I may or may not have alienated a few people on Sunday. Note to self: share your running stories with other crazy runners like yourself and be a little more lowkey about how much you love running.