Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Reflections of this Day

Twelve years and one day ago, I was holding a soft, cuddly and sweet smelling new born in my arms. My baby boy was perfect. The next morning on September 11th as I was laying in the hospital room, I was awakened by a nurse drawing my blood. I complained and groaned a little bit, and the nurse (and looking back I still think that she was very rude) told me that "there are worse things going on in the world" and then proceeded to turn on the TV. It was the exact moment when Tower Two was hit and my husband and I not having watched the news at all that morning did not quite understand what was going on. At first I thought it was an ad for a new action movie, but it didn't take long for me to realize that our country was under attack.
The scenes that followed will be ingrained in my brain forever. I held my baby tigher, sadness came over me knowing that his world will not be the same. I wanted to rush home and hold my other baby (he was three and a half at the time), but the doctors would not send me home. The silence of the skies were defeaning. I had the TV turned because the endless loop being shown of the towers collapsing were becoming too much to bear.
I was allowed to come home later that day. the streets appeared to be desserted. Even at 3000 miles away, the effects of the terror attack were deeply felt here in the Bay Area.
That day our country mourned the loss of thousands of lives, the loss of a sense of safety and our security. That day, as a nation we have to realize that our strength will only manifest if we stand together. We shall never forget...

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Running with Friends

I started running because it was for me it was a nice, solitary activity. Running for me is a time to be alone and to sort out my own thoughts. It was a time when I do not have to be wife, a mother or daughter. Running three to five miles were enjoyable. But I came to a point where I also needed someone to share my running experiences with specially on longer runs. My family has always been supportive, but they do not quite get the excitement that I get from my runs and my races. I have very good friends, but some of them still think I should only run when being chased.
Through one of the running blogs that I read, I found the group "Moms Run This Town". I gingerly joined their Facebook page and found a place that belongs to moms of all ages and running abilities. Ignoring all warnings to not meet anyone in person whom you've only met on the internet, I signed up for a group run. After all, these are moms so they would not hurt me, right?
Since then, I have been running with these amazing group of women at least once a week. We've run races together, climbed up stairs and trekked trails. These women are not just a "support" group who I run with, they are now friends. The support we get goes beyond pushing each other on the track and the roads, we only support each other through injuries, setbacks and issues with our children. These moms listen, understand and are able to relate to what each of is going through.
I can actually give credit to MRTT for my continued determination and of course my speedier running pace.