for the first time, 10 miles.

"The miracle isn't that I finished, it's that I had the courage to start."

.2 hours.2 minutes.2 seconds.


and, for the first time in a long time, something to be proud of. an unexpected rush of accomplishment on the morning of finishing my final training run. in two and a half months, i was committed enough to be able to go from barely being able to run ten minutes at a time to being able to run ten miles (albeit not very quickly or gracefully, but still being able to run that ten miles). in college, someone in a writing class - someone who ran cross country - wrote about running and quoted some statistic that said what percentage of americans were able to run more than ten miles at a time. i wish i could remember exactly what it was (i don't), but it was tiny and at the time i assumed my position in the 90-some percent majority was pretty much locked in. but how simple it was to change that. a couple of months and some willpower and time and perhaps one of the most unlikely candidates for distance running can run herself from minneapolis, down a riverbed, back up a riverbed, across the mississippi, into saint paul, up the riverbed some more, and then, with the help of some shark-shaped electrolyte gummies, amped up soft rock stylings, and familial cheerers, can cross the finish line. another pre-30 goal crossed off the list.

also, school of seven bells = good sounds.