.857 weeks...

I ran on Thursday. I ran, and I ran, and I ran....then I walked....but then I ran, and ran. Minus the wasabi pea fire in my stomach, it was good.

It was interesting.

Around mile 14 (i exaggerate) I encountered a man who gave me some very helpful advice. As he approached me on his bike, hacking and coughing up a lung, I stopped to let him pass. He pedaled by, lifted up a piece of cloth tied around his neck and pressed a button that let him say through the air hole in his throat, "(gargle) don't overdo it (gargle)."

I could take this statement one of several ways:

He could have simply meant, "Hey, you're working hard, and that's good, but don't go so far that you eventually cause yourself emotional and physical strain."

Or the deeper, "Enjoy yourself, but don't overindulge yourself with the pleasures of this world and spend your life completely fixated on the things that create a superficial happiness...like smoking enough cigarettes to burn a hole in your trachea." I don't think he would have said trachea, maybe air tube.

I, however, chose to look at those three words as they apply to my current situation, "Young, smart, beautiful, lady, you have done a fantastic job coordinating every aspect of this wedding. It is going to be the wedding of the decade, however, you must not put too much of yourself into it or else you risk not enjoying the day, which can ultimately cause you to carry bitterness into your marriage." Wow.

Running may be hard on your joints, but it's good for your soul.