I wasn’t fast, but I finished. Finally, I was healthy enough to get to a finish line once again, and it happened to be a stunningly beautiful finish line in Tenants Harbor, Maine. I call that a sweet victory on all fronts after my year of injuries and missed races. And it’s not really the end. It’s only just the beginning.

Leading up to the Blueberry Cove 13.1, I only ran up to 7 miles. I was consistent in running four or five times a week and doing a spin class somewhere in the mix, but my distances were short, mostly because of the heat. Still, I managed to run the half marathon and feel good the entire way. I thank my base training for that, along with the 70 degree temperatures in beautiful Maine. I don’t think I could have happily done a half in Texas where the temperatures hover around 100 degrees. But a cool morning and a good state of mind were all I needed to get this race done. I’m pleased.

Now I look ahead to my fall races. I’m doing marathons and my first ultra – 30 miles on the trails. I’m excited about both. The marathon will be fast and flat, I think, but the ultra will be a challenge. I’ll be in good company though for all of it. Dave and a number of the women from my trail running group are running the marathon with me, and Jeanie and Charles are doing the ultra. It’s been a long time since I traveled with Jeanie. I’m looking forward to her energy and company.

Mostly, I’m excited about having confidence in my body again. It’s frightening to feel like my body is failing me, to feel like I’m getting old. That’s how I felt much of the first half of this year, but now I’m feeling like I know how to keep my body going so that I can do the things I want to do. I’m not broken or falling apart. I’m not old and decrepit. I just had some issues that were new and unexpected, and I didn’t know how best to handle them. Now I do. I know to listen to my body and to ask my ART guy for help as soon as anything feels wrong.

I’m grateful for the experience I had at Blueberry Cove, and I’m excited for cooler temperatures and more races this fall. Happy running to me! Happy running to you too, if that’s what you choose to do.