rain, the claw, and my 10,000 best friends

with JT after my first and last Tulsa Run (2007)

At the request of the lovely OK Chick, here is my weekly running update. The Tulsa Run is just days away, and I feel strong and ready. On Saturday morning, I ran eight miles without walking. In the rain. If you've ever run in the rain, you know how glorious this feels at the right temperature. The light drizzle was like an oasis on the South Riverside running trail, where I was just moments before seriously regretting my decision to wear a long sleeve shirt. To me, there's almost something cathartic and cleansing about running in the rain that makes me smile. And believe it or not, my smile lasted through my Longhorns' abysmal performance.

As I posted before, I'll be flying the Tulsa Run solo as both JT and my parents will be out of town. But when I really think about it, I won't be alone. I'll have an estimated 10,000 of my closest friends with me, all bound by the same blood, sweat, and tears spilled on behalf of the same goal, the same Tulsa pavement, the same pains and thrills, just with different stories.

And that's what I really love about the running community: the total strangers shoving cups of liquid gold in runners' hands, people holding signs and shouting encouraging mantras, bands playing upbeat music, fellow runners not thinking twice when I reach into the depths of my sports bra for the Shot Blox stuffed therein, and the almost electric determination that comes from 10,000 people spiked on exercise endorphins.

(source)

If you've been following the Texas Rangers' cinderella story like my family of lifelong fans, you know that they bust out The Claw (shown above) when someone hits a home run, guns a base stealer out, or exhibits some other feat of incredible strength. In a moment of pride, I definitely gave myself The Claw as I was running on Riverside by the River Spirit Casino, and somehow managed to not take out any bikers in the process.

My goal will definitely not be The Claw's counterpart, The Antlers, which the Rangers designate for speed plays. But to avoid what happened in my last Tulsa Run experience and my first race ever, the 2007 Tulsa Run, my goal is just to finish before the post-run snacks are gone.