The journey is not as long when there are two...

So last night was the night of the run I have been training for - to benefit St. Ben's, an organization that serves the hungry in Milwaukee. I was with a group, but I wanted to run on my own. I wasn't interested in how I placed; I just wanted to finish the race without stopping.

As the run got started, it was disconcerting to be in such a pack of people. I would later find out that they had a record turnout for the race - almost 2000 people! tTe walkers were supposed to be on a different circuit, but many of them got confused and went on the route for the runners. It was hard to see as I tried to run around some of the walkers, but thankfully I didn't run into the stone bench that I almost didn't see! Some people around me were talking, and I wondered why they were wasting their breath on talking - because I have always had a hard time talking while running.

At some point I noticed a couple wearing t-shirts that said something like: The journey isn't as long when there are two. Or perhaps it said "When there are more than one". Shortly after I noticed those t-shirts, two women came alongside me and said they would keep me company. One of them ended up walking, so the other woman and I ran together. We talked the rest of the way, and to my surprise, talking wasn't a problem. I learned that she was a mother of 4 who had been in the Navy and was now in nursing school. There were a couple of times when she asked if we could walk, but only briefly. Somehow I didn't mind slowing down and walking, even though it hadn't been my intention. I already knew I could run the 5K without stopping, so when my new friend asked, I felt good about being able to encourage her. As we neared the end, I wondered where the other woman had ended up. When I turned around, I saw that she was not far behind us. She said it had kept her motivated to keep us within her sights. We finished the race together.

While maintaining a practice is often a solitary endeavor, practicing yoga or running with others enhances the journey.