Internal Smile

When I flew from El Paso to Dallas to Philly on Monday, I just happened to be seated on the flight to Philly across the aisle from a running friend.  I told him all about the race, including that I'd performed so much better than I'd imagined under any conceivable scenario.  He'd run the local RNR race on Sunday morning, and was able to give me updates on how all our other friends who aren't on FB did (for all the friends who are on FB, I'd already seen their posts and times).  It was fun to swap stories for an hour.  He actually looked through all my pictures with me, and I was overflowing with emotion when I told him about the experiences.

Then we each did some work for a while, then I decided to doze a little.  And it happened. 

Then I had an incredibly unsuccessful time in Philly, didn't resolve the case as I'd hoped I would, and had to come home last night.  Again, I worked on the plane, read part of a book, and then decided to doze a little.  And it happened again.

It is a little grin that's seemingly permanently affixed to my face right now. 

Every time I think about the weekend and the race, I bust out into a huge grin. 

When I just try to relax and sleep or something, I notice I'm smiling.  And I can't help it.

I just feel so great!  Proud and excited about the race results, but even more excited to tell all my running friends all these great survivor stories that I heard. 

I feel like I'm floating a little, and the grin just won't fade!  My lower back is still a bleeding and oozing painful mess.  I joked to my husband that it will be my "Bataan tramp stamp" if it ends up scarring, as I think it may -- too hard to keep it covered with anti-scarring stuff because the waist of any clothes bunch up against it and rub off the bandages, at least as well as I can bandage it myself.  Quads and Achilles are both still a bit sore, but nothing remarkable.

I'm planning a fun 10 days without hubby.  Law school roommate visit, two planned meals with other friends to tell them about the race, some yoga, some packing, then flying home to see my little brothers for Easter, before going to work in Indy for a couple days.  I definitely miss him, but I'm finding fun ways to fill my time, and I'm sure there will be some relaxing solo nights too.