Run for Lauren

Today was one of those days when you run for reasons other than fitness. It was a sad, reflective run. The daughter of the man who married Kurt and I died of carbon monoxide poisoning last week. She was only 23 yrs old.

She lived across the street from us when we lived in Windsor many years ago and I remember seeing her ride her bike up and down the street. Her father, Don, was the pastor of our church and we got to know him and his new wife, Carol, very well because we joined a "blended families" group together. I can't imagine what he is going through right now.

I thought a lot about Lauren on my run. How tragic to die so young. I thought about how hard that would be bury your own child. It's not something I allow myself to think about very often because it's just too hard.

It was also a beautiful run with a blanket of freshly fallen snow. I love winter running and this was a particularly beautiful morning. The sun was coming out of the clouds but the sky was kinda dark-lookng, like it was still in shadow. Dark clouds mixed with fluffy white clouds and snowdrifts covered the sidewalk.

I plowed through the snow feeling the cold wind on my face. Most people think it's crazy to run in the snow but I love it. Snow-packed roads have traction and they're actually easy to run on. Some corners are icy but the straight-aways are fine.

I ran around Sanborn Park four times....just didn't feel like going anywhere else. I was the only there and I could just let my mind wander as I ran the snow-covered path around the lake.

Kurt and Daisy ran with me the first two miles but went home soon because Kurt was tired. He worked all last night and could barely stand up. He seemed to disappear in the fog as he and Daisy ran off toward home. Although I'm glad he joined me for part of the run, I was also glad he went on because I didn't feel like talking.

When I got back I felt a calmness that I hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe it was the music, the prayer, the reflection on life and death. There's something special about running on a cold winter day and it's days like these that make me glad to be a runner.