Who Can Say Where The Road Goes?

Marathon Plan - Regressive Countdown - Week Nine
03/01/10 - 03/07/10 - Week Total: 30.1 miles

I have never seen her, but I know how she looks.
I have never talked to her, but I know how her voice sounds.
I have never met her, but I know she is a friend.
I have never run with her... but I have.

When I came back to the long distance odyssey, the only runner I knew of was Ryan Hall. He had quite a few advantages over me. First, he was a male. Second, he was young. Third, he was elite. Given that, to measure my performance with his was a little unfair, not to mention, off. And while starting to understand my baseline, I started to know common mortals in this endeavor. Ones faster than others, but definitely mortals, not Hall.

And these mortals became my friends, my blogger friends. Some write once in a while, some quit blogging, some disliked me through the journey and left, some are always there. And for those, a handful of'em, I am grateful.

Each relationship fills different aspects of my journey in particular ways. But all come with words of joy and wisdom when needed, after a successful week, a discouraging run or a battle at life. And a run with each of them would be a blessing and something I long for.

As these runs are not likely to be attained, Chris takes me with her for a run after me having a bad 13.1. 3,000 miles away, recording her whereabouts and open thoughts, for me to feel she is running at my side. And just the thought that she is doing that to help me out, widens my heart with gratitude while a melancholic song asks Who Can Say Where The Road Goes?

And the answer isn't time, or a sub-5, or 27 minutes. The road goes wherever I want it to go. The answer is in my feet, my heart, and my soul understanding the meaning of the road. The road I run for too many reasons better than time. The road of freedom. The road of long distance running.