Karma and Living Well

I ran the Rock and Roll half marathon on Saturday. It was a great run. The last part of the pictures and filming was done at the start line--after I found them--and at the finish . At the expo, I visited the MS Society table.  They finally have a charity run team for races, in this case, the Marine Corps Marathon.  It has become a lottery to get in, but as a member of the charity group you can get in with the fund raising.  This disease needs some help.  It is a bad disease.  I am lucky.  Mine isn't as bad as some.

Early in the race, probably before mile marker 1, I saw a woman with a MS shirt and orange tutu on. I started talking to her.  She is a member of Team  Strike Out MS.  She was running with a group from her work.  They invited me to fall in with them, and we ran the whole race together.  It was a very cool experience to run with a group.  The group stayed together--pit stops, water stops, all of it.  The pace was based on the group need.  Whether it was the group or the bonding with the MS team, I don't know.  I know it was one of the best races I have ever had.

I had my cheerleaders at the finish line.  Amy and Sandi had finished their run and ignored/avoided the crew in the finish coral trying to get them to move away.  It is always better when you have people waiting at the end.  They couldn't go to bag check to get their sweatshirts or they wouldn't have gotten back.  I am glad they waited.  Fortunately, this time, I didn't fall down.

The film crew did their final shots/interview after the race.  They were asking me questions like "how was it," "how did you feel," and I am not sure what else.  Now I understand when athletes get asked questions at the finish line why they aren't as articulate as other times.  I had a hard time coming up with words.  My ultimate answer to how do you feel during the race was "joy." Joy to be able to run, joy to be able to finish. 

I am going to be joining Team Strike Out MS for the Bike MS at National Harbor.  I will be running as part of the MS Society team for the Marine Corps Marathon.  Those of you who know me know I am not usually much of a joiner.  Not much in the fund raising thing.  It looks like that is changing. Karma puts you where you need to be when you need to be there.  I am working on figuring out ways to reach out and help.  People with MS need hope.  My writing has started this, then the Runner's World article, then the web documentary, now a whole team.  I have said it before.  My MS isn't like yours.  But everyone has to make it as good as it can be.