Reminder

I was reminded this past week why I love running and coaching with Team in Training. I was minding my own business and trying to get through my food shopping at Shop Rite in Oakland...for those of you that have been there...the floor plan was laid out by a blind man...sorry that is an insult to blind people...a blind person would have laid it out much better....there are a series of horizontal and vertical aisles that run into each other and one wrong turn and it can take me 10 minutes to find my way back....I have a full shopping cart loaded heavy and high....on a side not when I preach that you must hydrate I practice what I preach...the 40 or so bottles of gatoraade that were in the cart will back that up....I was focused on getting the last few items that I needed and was hoping for a short cehckout line and then a mad dash for the car...it was not to be...I was stopped dead in my tracks and asked whether I ran with Team in Training...some total stranger had apparently seen me many times running with the Team ( Duck Pond I guess) and had all sorts of questions for me and then finished by saying that it had to be very rewarding....and although I always have it in my head that it really is ....this kind lady reminded me that there is nothing better than the feeling I get over and over seeing the smile or the tears of joy when someone crosses their first half or full marathon finishline....the running stories I tell most (other than those where I have done something dopey) are about those finishline experiences....do I enjoy remembering my own races and adventures .... sure .....do I get excited to meet an elite athlete, like Tegla Laroupe ( 2 or3 time NYCM winner), Frank Shorter (Olympic Gold and Silver medalist), Matt Downin (worked for my friend at Ridgewood Cycle), Bill Rodgers (Millrose games 2005)....absolutely....do i remember the good and bad in many of my races...yes.....BUT there is nothing like the memories of running with Claire Talarico and Noelle at the Nike Marathon 2 x's; Melissa and her running buddy Doreen at Nike; Eric D at Va Beach; Tamara Lynch at PF Changs with tears streaming down both of our faces for the last 1.2 miles and it goes on and on....I won't lie and say that I would not give up those memories for any amount of money in the world because I want to make a living someday as a running coach but it would not be a cheap sale to give up those memories....Here's to hundreds more memories .....