All In Perspective.

What a fantastic morning today.  My wife, son and I attended the Boston Children's Hospital Miles for Miracles Boston Marathon kick-off event this morning at Kings.  Bowling, brunch and my family and I meeting Patrick, my patient partner, and his family in person.  What could be better?!  This was such a well-orchestrated event that allowed us all to officially introduce ourselves and begin to get to know each other better.  It was a great start to a long relationship. sdfsdf

I was really looking forward to today's festivities for different reasons.  A sense of reality as to what I am doing and getting myself into.  Something tangible.  I found out that I made it on team Miles for Miracles back in September but there hasn't been a lot of actionable items since then.  That is, until today.  It all starts in full gear now.  There are key tasks and deadlines.  Training, training and more training.  Well, that actually starts tomorrow but we'll go with it as it is almost Monday now anyway.  It's here.  It's now.  You could say it is where the rubber meets the road.  Rubber.  Shoes.  Get it?  Rubber soles pounding the pavement?  Love that one.  Seriously though.  This is it.  Time to be serious and get to the task at hand.

I have to say that it struck me today at one point while standing by the air-hockey tables watching my son, Patrick and another little girl as they all gleefully played a back and forth game of air-hockey.  The smiles on their faces as the puck glided across the thin layer of air above the surface of the table.  Ker-plunk as the puck landed in the goal.  The three of them were all patients of Boston Children's at some point in their young lives.  I then panned around at all the kids who attended today's kick-off.  The majority of them are/were patients.  They are the reason that I'm doing this.  They are the faces of those being helped by such an outstanding health care facility.  The beneficiaries of the great work being done by all of the professionals at the hospital.  That moment really did put it all into perspective for me.  I received the tangible piece that I was looking for and then some. 

I start my official training tomorrow.  20 weeks of highs and lows.  Cold night runs and cold early morning runs.  Snow, rain and wind.  Ups and downs.  But, after today, I have the perspective that I need to know that it is all worth it in the end.

Until next time, keep on runnin'!