Earning the Badge

I don’t really remember what made me start blogging when I started running 5 years ago, or why I stopped (besides I was too busy running).  I am not even sure when my running goals started evolving.  These things, well they happen naturally.  You strive to get a little better than you were at that last 5k or marathon and things just progress.  Regardless, there are many things I never in my life dreamed I would do: run on an indoor track, race my husband and love every burning moment, run a 6 minute mile, run 26.2 miles.  But somewhere, somewhere in there, I started to dream that I would qualify for the Boston marathon.  THE Boston marathon is some badge that moves you from a runner to “a runner”.  People ask if you are fast, and you just say, well, I qualified and they nod.  Yet, nothing about me changed really on October 21^st to warrant me this badge when I couldn’t reach it before.  I ran with a smile, enjoyed every mile, and yet…I earned that badge.  And, there is no way I would have rather earned it.  Not at Boston as planned, not at providence 3 weeks after Boston.  But months later, after struggling with iron deficiency.  The iron was manageable.  The workouts still came and went.  But that struggle made this all the sweeter.  I was no longer shooting for the badge, but for the smile and a reasonable PR.  And that determination to have fun and run smart, it got me the badge.  I clearly still pushed myself as my body tells me three days later.  But it was different.  And magical—just like the unicorn on the Boston Marathon emblem.  I’ll never forget the warm up, the start line, the first few miles, seeing my friends on the course, seeing the bridge and trees and taking it all in, being overwhelmed with emotion at miles 22.6 and 26.2 as I saw my dreams suddenly appear before me (as well as my husband and coach realizing the dream was in reach too).  No, I’ll never forget it.  But…while I now have this badge, I am still me.  I am still happy to put a foot in front of the other and will still chase some new running goal.  But hopefully, achieving the badge will serve as a reminder that I run because it makes me happy.  And being happy, well, it makes your dreams come true.