From Christine: Run like you mean it

I run to calm my soul, to give it a break from the overwhelming amount of interference it tends to battle on a regular basis. It’s the one-hour of my day (sometimes a bit longer if my real-world duties will allow) where I try to let everything go. When I put up a “do not disturb” sign for myself. I escape from emails, phone calls, text messages, any form of outside communication in order to recharge. It’s just me, my inner thoughts, and the road ahead; my happy place.

Running is part of my identity. It’s not just an activity for me, but rather a way of life. It’s a way to learn about myself, to challenge myself, to push myself beyond limits I didn’t even know existed, while in the end still providing me the comfort of an old friend all at the same time. It’s a humbling experience some days, especially when my mind, body, and soul feel misaligned, but that’s exactly what keeps me coming back day after day. There’s a wonderful sense of beauty wrapped up in that struggle towards triumph, which makes the completion of such miles that much more rewarding.

Last August, Marissa and I were sharing our more recent running challenges and triumphs as both of us were preparing for our upcoming marathons. I was training for my first, the Chicago Marathon that October, while she was looking ahead to her fifth (she’s a champ, obviously!) in Davis later in December. It was during this conversation that Marissa shared her vision for wanting to run an ultra marathon in the Spring.

When she first said the words “ultra marathon” my immediate gut reaction (in my head of course) was, “Oh my goodness! Seriously, 31miles?!?! Definitely don’t need one of those on my ‘bucket list’.” However, as soon as Marissa spoke about why she wanted to do this event, my next response seemed to fall out of my mouth even before my brain had time to process, “Do you want a running buddy? Can I be your running buddy? I want to do this with you. I want to support you and Kati.”

Marissa and I had made a promise to each other years ago to run a marathon together someday. So why not “go balls out!” as Dan E. would say, and make it an ultra, for an ultra special person – Kati Vastola.

 “As long as we have the road, the ramblings, and each other to look forward to, it’s all going to be alright. Bring it on, life – we’re laced up and ready.” - anonymous