“It doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last.  You can say, ‘I have finished.’

 There is a lot of satisfaction in that.” ~ Fred Lebow

Woke early cheerleading myself; only 3 to go.  Little bounce day-over-day.  Legs stopped moving day prior – think ‘lead legs‘ the new norm.  No real recovery.  Lack of sleep taken its toll.  Trained for ‘miles‘ & throwing multi-day distance.  Never foresaw sleep deprivation.  Mind fuzzy/cloudy, nothing’s ever crisp.  Reality/dream states blurred.  And emotional.  Even at Christmas, my family… we’re not huggers.  Certainly not weepers.

Suck it up buttercup, it’s Race day 6 – and today, this day I’m running 26.2 in the Red, White & Blue 🇺🇸

Sunday.  BIGGEST race field of all 8.  Hundreds of participants.  Flat course & NYC confidence.  Crazy fast field.  End of Lap 1: Ash & Tom.  Taste of HOME, my Colorado FAMILY.  Lap later, had it settled in my head.  I got nothing to prove.  I’ve got folks who love me.  I’ve been to Chile, marathon’d in Antarctica.  Nothing left in the legs, spirit dinged.  Finish the Half & heading HOME.  5 continents in 5 days.  I can live with that.

Lap 2, no Ash.  Text’d to meet at the tennis courts.  It’s just ahead; they were geocaching.  Got it!  Thankful they weren’t hanging idle while I’m slow-slogging ‘round Long Island.  New York State not… ‘the City’.

Ahead on the right.  There they are.  Smile.  Short wave.

Left.  Look LEFT.  Tunnel Hill mirage.  So weird.  Same headband, same hydration vest.  Smiling, laughing.  Talking.  No, it’s REAL.  Half-a-country away from her St. Louis home.  She’s HERE.  HOW?

Long embrace.  TEARS.  No words.  Sis – in Garden City, New York ❤️

And Ash.  And Tom.  And my in-law bro, Paul.

They’re all here.

Run, walk, crawl but finish.  I can do this.  Triple 8 FINISH.

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