Best Moment in Recent History
I just got home from one of the most incredible sights of my life. My wife just finished her first half-marathon and it was awesome. First you have to take in the whole scene. This race is called the Hippie Chick Half Marathon and encompasses women, and yes it is an all-female race, from every and I mean every walk of life. There are you twenty-somethings that are obviously at the top of their game. The winning time was something like 1:31.31, which is pretty impressive. There is the sixty and over crowd, which is inspiring enough as it is. There are the baby-boomers that run the whole race arm in arm. And there is everyone in between. One of the most amazing aspects of this race is not necessarily that all of these women, totaling somewhere around 900, from all of these walk of life are here together but that they all want to see each other do well. As they are passing each other those being passed are cheering. I saw multiple women stop and get out of the way of other women in their sprint to the finish line. It was a competitive atmosphere that I have never experienced before.
Then there is my wife. She is the mother of my two children and probably the most amazing woman I have ever known, and I know so great ones. She didn’t run the race fast but she finished. She ran 13.1 miles and was able to smile at the end. She uses the same tenacity in loving and raising our children and in being married to me, neither of which is easy. She is the best woman I know and this race is merely the latest piece of evidence that proves what I have known all along. She is awesome!!!
There is only one down side to today. I have to run my half-marathon in July and I do not think I will beat her time. Frankly put she is in better shape than me, which makes me love her more and go get on a treadmill. Although 900 women can run a race and only wish the best for all of those involved I do not believe that is something men can do. We can cheer for people to do well as long as they finish behind us.
