16,376th

Sunday, April 6
16,376th place. Not too shabby for an old grandpa coming off of a 30-year hiatus. And I'm not near as sore and stiff as I anticipated. The 6-miler during training was tougher and the after-effects more pronounced and long-lasting. Now, 27 hours after the 10k, I feel almost normal. There is something to be said for conditioning. God blesses effort.

Later this week I want to sit for an hour or two, reflecting on my posts and summarizing my experience. I want to especially reflect on mile markers, those particularly meaningful (to me anyway) insights that I've experienced. One blessing that came about as an after-thought is that I raised almost $500 for cancer cure research. I guess the significance of that effort was obscured by focusing only on myself.

The most meaningful outcome of all of this has been that my children have shared my experience. After all is said and done, relationships are what life is all about. Their expressions of pride in my accomplishment have been heartwarming. It has also given me opportunities to tell my children that they are my inspiration to begin with. I would not have considered doing a 10k if it weren't for them. Each of them has demonstrated significant strength, determination, and persistence in the face of tough times. Each of them has stepped up to difficult situations and turned them into blessings. They have chosen to grow and be strengthened instead of beaten down. That's what this is all about.

Are there other similar events in my future? I don't know. One thing I do know is that I don't plan to go back to such a sedentary way of life. While we have no guarantees for our futures, we can set goals and move forward, and let God bless it as He sees fit.

After all, having goals helps wonderful things happen. Maybe next year I'll go for 13,000th place.