Nine-spiration

Last week my long run was planned for nine miles.  Let me tell you a little something about the weather I faced during the entire nine miles.... IT WAS WINDY!!!  Both coming and going, it was windy!  I'm talking limbs down everywhere, leaves and dirt flying in my face, and a literal wind-wall at times that felt like it was pushing me backwards.  In other words, it was a real sh$tty run.

Running into the wind can be extremely discouraging.  All of your momentum is heading forward, you are working with all of your might to push on, and yet this force you cannot control is holding you back.  The temptation to quit can be so strong. 


When the temptation to quit creeps in, you have to find inspiration to keep going.

And my inspiration came from watching and marching with an amazing group of 50,000 men and women and children all coming together to demand equal rights and equal protection for all (including things like paid family leave; anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans; access to affordable reproductive health care; an end to the use of military-style weapons and tactics by the police in minority communities; a living minimum wage; immigration reform, with a path to citizenship; and protection of the environment and public lands). 

Now, I know not everyone was as inspired by the marches around the world as I was, but I have to tell you, being in a crowd of 50,000 all of whom were kind, and compassionate, and creative, and bright, and bold, and determined, and concerned for the well-being of everyone, not just people who look like and think like them, well it just makes you want to be a better person.  And, frankly, it made me not want to give up the next day.  When that wind-wall would slap into me and stop me in my tracks, I would think of all those amazing women from the day before, some of whom were in their 70's, none of whom complained about the crowds, or the heat, or the hours and hours of standing.  I knew those ladies wouldn't let a little wind stop them, and I knew I couldn't either.