Feel your heart swell

Unfortunately, my running blog hasn't been established as yet, so I am going to have to blog this post here.... I am too fired up to actually manage to find the time to write it and then have nowhere to post it.

So, what am I fired up about right now? Right now, I am reveling in that wonderful feeling that comes from having watched an inspiring video. A running video.

But it doesn't have to be a running video, or any kind of sport for that matter. You know the videos I am talking about. Those videos that have you captivated. The music is perfect, the story resonates with your soul, and evokes feelings in you that make your heart swell. For some of us, our eyes tear up, our throats tighten, and we are totally focused on what we are seeing, there is nothing else that could possibly distract us from completely dissolving ourselves into what we are vicariously experiencing.

This week, for me, it was the Boston Marathon and Josh Cox of Powerbar pacing one of the runners, Geoff, to his first sub-3 hour marathon. What was it that got me? It was my ability to be able to relate to the desire for a specific time and to want to achieve something that has eluded you for so long but you just know inside yourself that you can do it.

It was the shot of the "group" running for 2:50. You can hear Josh saying, "this is the group", and it takes you to your place in a race. You might not know the other runners around you, but you start to label them. "Pink shirt & pony tail girl", "Guy in the red Nike shorts", or whatever feature you decide to define about them. A group of you start to pace together and this creates a bond out of thin air. You find yourself looking out for your "group" as you go through the drink stations. You hope that no one drops back. You find yourself saying some words to the girl in front who starts to drop her pace, doing what you can to inspire her even though your own legs are calling for a stop.

We don't "race" each other, we race "together".

I was also touched by some of the things that Josh had to say, like "your heart will get you through". He is so right. When your legs are heavy and your lungs are hurting, it isn't just your head that gets you through, but your heart. Your love for running, your love for achieving personal goals, your love for the freedom and space - whatever it is for you.

But in the end, feel your heart swell and just know, it is all about love.