26 Miles in 3 days.

In Chef Gordon Ramsey's "The F Word" voice:

Friday: 6 Miles at 5:30AM.  Touch Art Museum Steps to the Strawberry Mansion Bridge, breath and do it again.

Saturday: 13 Miles at 6:00AM.  Charge toward Main Street in Manayunk from a similar starting place; stop to stretch on the Falls Bridge; continue on through the hills, pass coffee shops and Pottery Barn, turn when Garmin tells you to and return.

Sunday: 7 miles at 8:00AM.  Shoes on, hangover ignored, move from one barrier island north to another barrier island.  Cross bridges, embrace familiarity, return winded and accomplished.

Done.

Despite the simplicity of putting on socks and shoes, left in front of right and hitting these miles, after mile 6 and just before mile 7, I was tense.  Not only did I not want to run 13 miles, I wasn't sure I could.  I was letting the "training" outshine the "running" and suddenly the reason I'm out there was lost - just like that.  With the Marathon looming, training intensifying and joints aching - all at once - It's easy to see how any runner could forget why she runs in the first place; and it's not to get from point A to point B - at least most of the time. 

It took the not-so-subtle reminder, on the eve of an uncertain 13 miles, that 9 months ago, if a doctor told me he could fix me and I could run even five blocks, I would have been thrilled with the news that running was mine again.  And so it goes, breathe in and breathe out, remind yourself that the next moment is not guaranteed, bear down and hold on.  And just keep moving.