Running is a gift

It's a Gift.

Freedom of flight, of leaps, bounds, two working legs that coordinate beautifully to carry my body up a hill. Each inhale and exhale I take, each breath a treasure. 

My husband and I work in a pediatric hospital in Colorado. I am an occupational therapist and he is a pulmonologist. I work with children with a variety of disabilities ranging from motor impairments, to cancer, to sensory processing disorder. 

My summer race is the Pikes Peak Ascent. Each year at the beginning of Pikes Peak Ascent we are greeted by 4 of my husbands patients who are either wheel chair bound or require a variety external mechanical supports to breathe. The kids wake up early to get to the start line to see us off. It is by far and away my most favorite part of the day because it reminds me that no breath and no step is to be taken for granted. That my ability to run 13 miles up a mountain gaining 7800 feet of elevation is a gift and something that should be treasured. Each step of the way up that mountain I am reminded that I am so incredibly fortunate to be able to explore the trails in a way that makes my heart sore and that my body is physically capable of, as there are so many people who dream of having that freedom of movement and breath. 

I have loved running since I started racing in seventh grade. As I have aged and experienced life I have gained more appreciation for my freedom of movement and breath. When I get down on myself for not looking fit enough or not being fast enough, or not being strong enough, I reframe my thoughts. THIS IS A GIFT! Enjoy each step. 

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