Amazement, Euphoria

What an amazing experience to set an alarm for 2:30 a.m., and get up and set out to meet my cronies (homies?) at 4:45. Our run route was in Boulder - which is not that far from here, but it is so different from Denver, it always amazes me when I go there. I used to spend a lot of time there, but that was a long time ago. I set out not at all sure that my body would go 16 miles. But it did! I have never gone that far before. At ten miles, I had an amazing feeling - gee! I only have a 10K left to do - and I can do that easily!

The last five miles or so, I actually experienced some euphoria.

The only bug in the ointment was that I needed to pee from about mile five on - and there was nary a place to go. At about mile eleven, my coach said "there are some promising looking trees over there." I said I would wait. She went and used the trees. I knew I couldn't do that. After about another mile, she pointed more trees out to me. Another one of the ladies said to me "One of the differences between a half-marathoner and a marathoner is that a marathoner has to learn how to pee anywhere." Yeah, OK - just dare me like that.

As I squatted in the trees with six people standing there, including one man, I thought - gee whiz (sorry, I couldn't resist that) when I drank I could pee anywhere. And so now as a training marathoner, I guess I can work on that "skill" again. Amazing how some things just come right back!

After I was done and left the park, I realized that I had been so focused on my task at hand, I had taken no photos. I stopped at a gas station to get something salty to eat and took the above photo - some old beat up chairs behind the gas station - with the flatirons off in the distance. It I had a bit more energy, I might have taken a better photo of the flatirons. They are just gorgeous.

This evening I met a friend for a sundae at Dairy Queen to talk about all things AA. It was really wonderful. I love the people I know in Alcoholics Anonymous. Sometimes it takes me years to like them, but I love them all. And this one I like as well as love. (One of the old sages I knew and loved when I got sober used to say "if you love everyone in AA, you are not going to enough meetings!" Rest in Peace Dick S.)

For as threatening as the world seemed two days ago, it seems loving and friendly tonight.

One day at a time is a really good idea