These Women Who Run

So these are pretty much the worst pictures of me, taken by me, at 8am in 5*F weather at the start of a 6 mile loop. That’s my running group and I love them. Women from all over Southern Vermont, of all ages, shapes and sizes come together every week to support each other. It’s really a beautiful thing. You never know who your next friend will be. If you are feeling good in your run, you may find yourself bumped up beside someone new. If you are nursing an injury or feel like slowing down a bit, you may enter a new group. There are so many of us, you almost always have a new partner, a new friend, new stories. You would be surprised about what you find out logging miles next to these women and how new friendship takes root. I took these pictures as evidence, I can still hardly believe that’s me.  I still don’t recognize the reflection of my running self as I pass big storefront windows. 2 years ago, if someone asked me about running I would have laughed. But that’s me, that’s really me. I recently got some new gear, no more mixed matched thrown together collection of mid 1990’s equipment, I am a runner now, this hobby is here to stay. Someone jokingly said I looked silly in my new compression tights and running coat. I looked right at them and said, “I only look silly to people who don’t run, to runners, I look pretty awesome”. Always cautious when I am out for a run, I spotted a car slowing down a bit as it came toward me. It was below zero out and about 7 o’clock in the morning. I made it a point to make eye contact with the driver and what I saw thrilled me to no end. In the car was a thirty something year old guy, who had a big smile on his face and was frantically giving me the thumbs up and waving. A runner, no doubt. I ran those five miles that day with a silly grin on my face in negative temperatures. He gets it.