Perspective

I was away last week, traveling south to sunny Florida for a business trip that my husband affectionately called a "boondoggle".

I can see his point - I stayed at a nice resort with access to world class golf, sandy beaches, gourmet restaurants and a spa. I indulged in a massage, enjoyed an afternoon at the beach, got a tour of a PGA Clubhouse and flew in a bi-plane above the St. Augustine bay - events all worthy of that Boondoggle classification.

Truth is, I just needed to get away last week - away from the hype of the weekend's Big Event at home - the Illinois Marathon I was supposed to run in. The business trip served as the perfect diversion from the onslaught of newspaper articles, radio and media spots. Don't get me wrong - the event promotes healthy lifestyles, gives back to local charities and is wonderful for our community - I just didn't want the constant reminder that I wouldn't be able to participate. I thought that by now, I would be at least able to run a little bit, but so far I haven't been able to get out of the cul de sac.

I couldn't avoid it come race weekend, though - my daughter ran in the 5K race Friday evening and my husband ran the 10K event Saturday morning. I got to watch all the marathon runners queue up and depart prior to the 10K event and yes, I was sad. Part of me hoped for challenging running conditions - heat or humidity, but no, it was a perfect day for runners - cool and a little damp, with a slight breeze.

So I was having a mental pity party, when I read a post from my bloggy friend, Puna, who shared tragic news of her neighbor who was killed while out biking. Suddenly my pity party seems, oh, so insignificant.

And so I'm left with the perspective that it isn't all too bad, acknowledging that it's OK to feel sad every now and then, and I must continue to forge ahead.

Since I can't have a post without a picture, I'll leave you with some photos I took of the sunrise last week. My goal is to be able to enjoy it again, in a pair of running shoes.