That's what she said

This is an excerpt from Kristin Armstrong's blog on the Runner's World Website. It's almost as if she called me up and asked me how I felt about running before she wrote it. I don't have much to write about today, so I'll let her do the talking for me:

"I realized that I am out here, most days of every week, pursuing something that does not come naturally or easily to me... Never in my life, before running, did I ever push hard after something that did not rank high on the list of things that come easily to me. I have always aspired to/ excelled at things that I was already good at. This probably stems from fear, pride, laziness or some perfection propulsion; my priest or therapist would know for sure. But running isn't like that for me. It's hard for me. I struggle. I suffer. I get discouraged. I get mad. I celebrate, sometimes. And when I chase after [my running partners] or any other zippy friend, it's not because I suck, it's because they don't. Running for some is a passion, one of their God-given talents, as natural as nursing a baby or riding a horse bareback. It isn't one of mine, and that is okay with me (or will be as soon as this epiphany sinks in), because I love it anyway... I just love it differently. I love it the way you love a rivalrous sibling, deep tissue massage, a session with your therapist, giving birth, or a big fight with someone you love. It doesn't always feel good in the moment, but ultimately you are a better person for it.

So I may not always run the way I want to run, race the way I imagine myself racing, and my performance outside may only rarely reflect the runner on the inside, but there is a certain endurance rush reserved for those of us who have to work extra hard just to stand on the start line and dream.

There is a unique beauty to pursuing the glow that resides just beyond our reach."