Patriot Circle

Friday night I found myself on campus at my alma mater… George Mason University.  I had arrived early for dance rehearsal (more on this later!) and had planned ahead of time to complete my week of training runs on campus before practice (just like the old days!).

The campus is set up so that one circular road connects everything together.  It (used to be) a 1.5 mile loop.  Since I’ve graduated, new construction has completely changed the university, so it’s a little more confusing and a little bit longer than it used to be.  But a lot of it is still the same.

I’ve run that loop many times.  First as a freshman, not really “running”, but jogging and walking with friends.  I didn’t really start actually running until I was training for Wizards auditions post-college.  I would run that loop over and over and over in the dead heat of summer, practically starving, trying to get thin for auditions. 

One specific instance stands out in my mind.  I was struggling up a hill on Patriot Circle, in the hot, hot weather, sweating, hungry, and feeling really frustrated, when an old man ran by me.  He looked back, smiled and said “That’s one more mile they can’t take back from you!” 

Well isn’t that true?  For all the miles I’ve run in my life, nobody can ever take them away.  They are completed. History.  And that in itself is a great accomplishment.  I remembered this story when I was running around the circle on Friday night, reminiscing about all the times I’ve run around Patriot Circle, or what I did in various places on campus, or the last time I was in each location.  This memory turned out to be really fitting, because Saturday morning I was scheduled to run 10 miles.  Except I could barely run 2 before my legs were so sore and tired that I had to walk.  It quickly turned into a 5 mile run and I was really upset with myself.

But that old man was right.  Those were 5 miles that NOBODY can take away from me. I still got up and did it.  I am still going to complete this half marathon in 3 weeks. And while I’d love to get an awesome time, the fact of the matter is those are 13.1 miles that nobody can take away from me. Actually…..16.2 miles if you count the 5k I'm doing the day before!  Being fit and healthy doesn’t always mean you run at the front of the pack. It’s something I must constantly remind myself. 

So thank you, old man, for teaching me this valuable lesson. And thank YOU, Patriot Circle, for reminding me of it.

Don’t you feel super inspired?? Like you can go out and run 20 miles right now?!?!?!

….me either.

Happy Monday!!

~SG