there are perfect days

Every now and then, there's a day that defies negativity. A day so perfect that it couldn't have been scripted better.

I got up on Sunday at 6:00 a.m. to head to Montrose Harbor for Teb's Troops 5K. This is a race benefitting melanoma research; I run it every year. One of the sponsors is my old firm. I was a bit apprehensive about seeing people that I might not want to see again, but my reasons for running the race outweighed any of those thoughts. When we left the house and as we were navigating all of the circuitousness caused by the filming of Transformers 3, the sun was shining. But as we arrived at the race site, a weird, chilly fog had rolled in. PERFECT! I love to run in cool, overcast conditions. We found Teresa and another friend (Michelle) almost immediately and hung around with them til race time. As is my usual routine, I turned to Coach T for a little pep talk. This time she used snack food as a motivation-- "think of all the junk we can eat after we run!"

I typically know as soon as soon as I hear the starting horn whether or not I'm going to have a good race. I was worried about the foot problems that have been bothering me. Still, I knew that the weather was a gift that rarely appears in late July and I wanted to seize the opportunity and put my best effort out there. Leave it all on the course as I paid homage to the gorgeous lakefront directly beside me. I ran with a determination that sometimes eludes me. When I wanted to slow down, I didn't. Approaching the finish line, I saw T dangling a bag of Cheez-its at me. It's hard to cross the finish line gracefully when you're doubled over with laughter, but I did. She screamed at me, "You kicked ass!! That's a PR for you!!" She was right. It was. I came in at 28:51, which is 30 seconds faster than I've ever done that distance before. Felt fantastic.

We hung around for a while after the race to, yes, eat snacks and also to see T climb the podium as the third-place winner. She defines speed without arrogance and my heart bursted with pride for her as they announced her name.

Although the cloudy and chilly conditions were great for the race, they were less than ideal for phase two of the day-- an outing to Great America. But nevertheless, we headed in that direction after a quick stop in Skokie to change out of running clothes and into bathing suits/shorts. Just after passing the Lake Forest Oasis, the sun came out. The lines getting into the park were long but we trotted to Hurricane Harbor to establish base camp and hit the lazy river.

I like the wave pool and there's a water slide that I'll do (and one that I'm considering) but the lazy river is my mecca. After situating yourself in a donut-shaped inner tube (butt in the hole, legs and arms draped over the sides), you meander gently down the river. Around you is a concert of canned classic summer tunes (Kokomo, Margaritaville) and the screams of the brave souls on the Tornado. Every so often you pass through waterfalls or water arches. If you slip your legs down into the center of the tube and navigate you can sometimes avoid the waterfalls. Most often I "let nature take its course." It's the repetition of wet spray then the hot, drying sun that I find so satifying. It's impossible not to live in the moment.

After the park, it was back on the expressway to head to Taste of Lincoln on the city's north side. Yep, you guessed it-- a concert by 7th Heaven! This is one of the more crowded fests, but there's also a lot to see-- various t-shirt and jewelry vendors, not to mention music, food and people watching galore. We sampled some chicken and fried rice and a few cold beers and laughed at the Lincoln Park trixies who were too refined to use the porta-potties. About 20 minutes before the show, I maneuvered myself to my typical location-- right side of the stage, first row. The band is getting more and more well known and this is reflected in the crowd size. I always manage to clasp hands with Keith and exchange smiles with Mark. Glow sticks and good cheer abounded. They put on a high energy show and I danced and screamed and sang until about 10:30 p.m.

On the way home, my feet and legs were sore from the running and dancing, my hair smelled like chlorine and I was tired from all of the sun and frolic. Like I said, a perfect day.

frailty

I'm a human being whose body has been cobbled together with duct tape and paper clips. Well, not really. But sort of. My nose was reconstructed out of some surgical product after I smashed it beyond repair in a car accident when I was 12. Half of my lower lip had to be reattached with stitches-- same accident. Broken right patella-- ditto. Broken left elbow-- ice skating. Extra cervical vertebrae in my neck-- genetics. Bunions the size of Texas-- genetics again, and possibly some bad shoe choices as a teenager. Slight tear to my Achilles tendon-- running. Chronic SI joint irritation in my lower back-- running, again. For the most part I've lived my life relatively unaffected by these various issues.

Except for the foot and back issues. The back made my marathon experience in 2006 a lesson in agony. Now, almost at the halfway point of training for the 2010 marathon, the bunion on my right foot is causing some discomfort because of toe misalignment. You should see the close-up view of the xray. The metatarsal bones look like a map of the San Andreas Fault during an 8.0 quake. The only sure-fire and lasting relief? Surgery. But that's not an option for me right now. I'm training for the marathon. Training with my heart and not always with my good sense.

But I'm lucky enough to have two amazing people in my life who are experienced marathoners and I've turned to both them for advice and understanding. T's my Jillian-- harsh and tough-- once or twice resorting to name-calling ("wimp," "weakling"). That sounds awful but she isn't. Sometimes I need that aggression to jar me out of complacency and to give me focus. There's a definite underlayer of love and generosity in her attention to my running. She's always there for me. No matter what. She cries when I hurt. She's joyful with me when I achieve a milestone.

Vince is a voice of reason. He's analytical and composed. He's been through the thunderstorm of injury and has come out into the clear blue sky. He improves steadily and methodically. He understands the tenuous balance between ambition and self-preservation. He can offer advice, not in the same emotional way as T does, but the advice is put out there with clarity and precision.

So that's what I have when I turn to my loved ones for help with my running--- heart and mind. Emotion and fact. And you know what? I need them both. Even when I don't want to listen to either-- ESPECIALLY when I don't want to listen to either.

Endurance

There's a California Pizza Kitchen in Oak Brook. Almost 9 years ago, I had lunch there with Suellen and Susan. At the time, my life was in transition. Although I was joyful about the birth of my first nephew, Justin, I had recently quit my job in Sears Tower due to post-9/11 concerns about working in that building. It was a tumultuous time for me. I was apprehensive about the future and a meal and deep conversation with two of my very close friends soothed me.

I met both Suellen and Susan almost 20 years ago. Suellen shares my love of reading and introduced me to AAUW book club. She's very much into Shackleton; everyone who knows Suellen has read Alfred Lansing's book Endurance. It's almost mandatory. She has a matter-of-fact outlook and her calm steadiness has helped me gain perspective on my own life in many ways. One time, we were in line for an Ann Rice autograph signing and a "female moment" happened to her (the irony of blood at a vampire book event did not escape us). Not wanting her to be uncomfortable, I pondered aloud as to whether or not we should just leave. Suellen's response has stayed with me all this time... "the bad thing has already happened." Life can and does throw curveballs. All you can do is endure with as much style and grace as you can manage.

I shared my database debut with Susan. I was working as a proofreader at a law firm at the time. For some unknown reason, my boss decided that I would be a good candidate for maintaining the marketing contact database, an in-house application designed by Susan. She served as my mentor. Along the way, we became friends. She's one of the smartest people I know and although I don't see her very often, she's impacted my life in a positive way. She has a generosity of spirit that is so wonderful.

So once again the three of us found ourselves at California Pizza Kitchen in Oak Brook. My nephew Justin has just finished second grade. I've gained and lost another job. Once again, my life is at a crossroads. I am apprehensive about the future. But once again, these strong women and dedicated friends soothed me in a way that is unparalled. That's endurance.