Then there were two...

I am a runner. I'm not a fast runner or particularly competitive. I'm just a runner. There are lots of reasons I run, but one of them is to run races. I forgot how much I love running races. There is something healing and inspiring and solidifying about running a set distances with 40,000 people just because you can. Cooper River Bridge Run is the last race I ran, in '08. Then I jacked my knee up. I cried through appointments with the Orthopedic Surgeon who told me my body is not built for running and what my surgery options were. Then I went to a physical therapist, who told me I had the core strength of an 85 year old lady and even weaker hip flexors. I did exercises all summer. In November, I started running again regularly and I've become a consistent runner since then. Much more regular about it than I ever was before. I'm only doing about 12-15 miles a week and I've given up marathon dreams. And, this last weekend, I ran a healthy 10K.

Folly Beach has become one of my favorite places. It's where Brent and I got engaged and where 'we' began. This weekend, when yearly two of my favorite things (running and basketball) are combined has become sort of an epic, annual tradition to get to the beach, run my tail off, get a little sun, relax and watch the final four. This is the 6th year I've run and it's almost more of an anniversary marker for my relationship with Brent than the typical anniversaries are.

Here's what I can sketch together about this same weekend over the last few years:

In '03, I finagled a ride to Charleston with Brent for the race because we had to leave later than the rest of our friends (and because I had a serious crush on him). We got in really late on Friday night and I ran the race on hardly any sleep because I was so excited about just having spent 4 hours in the car with Brent that I couldn't sleep once we finally arrived. It was also my first 10K.

In '04 and '05, the details run together, but I know we ran with lots of college friends and it became a quasi-reunion getting to see everyone that weekend for a few years. Always good times involving final four and oyster roasts at Corinne's parent's place.

'06 - this must be the year that it poured and I ran in my big North Face jacket. It was an awful race. Lots of our friends ran it, although most of the ones who stayed with us skipped the race and Forde cooked them breakfast instead.

'07 - We ran with Anna and Jeff.

In '08, due to moves across the country and other events, it was only me, Brent, and Heang.

This year, just the two of us ran. I really had to talk Brent into running it because of the fee, but it was so worth it.

There are rumors of racing in red tutus next year. Any takers? It's never too early to start training.