Run to Remember Sherry Arnold

You'd just about have to been living under a rock in the blogosphere to not know about today's Run to Remember Sherry Arnold - the Montana teacher, runner and cousin of awesome blogger Beth.  If you need to catch up, please go read this awesome post over at Shut Up and Run.  Otherwise, it will come as no surprise that I put in a few miles to remember this beautiful soul.


I thought about her all morning.  I thought about how awful the last month or so has been for her family and friends.  I thought about how the evil in this world can shake our faith to its core.  I thought about how fortunate we all are to get up every morning and return from each training session.  And I'll admit, I thought a little about how cold today was going to be (22° for a high).

As I thought about how to best to honor her memory and observe some moment of silence or prayer, the following verse popped right into my mind and I knew it was perfect:

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;

for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." 

(Psalm 23:4)

I pray that Sherry wasn't fearful and was comforted as she passed from this world at the hands of evil.  That her family will be comforted as they continue the search for her body and try to make some kind of sense of this awful world.  And I prayed a bit for my own safety after being more than a little freaked out as I ran past a tennis shoe in the middle of the road.

As I made it back to the safety and warmth of my home, I said a short prayer of thanks and another for Sherry and her family.  It wasn't fast (around an hour), nor insanely long (3.29 mi), but it was a Run to Remember. 

On completely unrelated asides:

• Thursday night Stacy and I did the hour long P90X Stretch DVD.  It was ok.  Felt good to work out a few kinks, but weird not to sweat. 
• Punted workouts yesterday, but did check out road bike options (few) at the LBS where we got our kids' bikes (they had THREE).  Back to Columbia to drool up there instead.
• Tried wearing the compression top I got for Christmas as a base layer today and it sucks.  Win some, lose some.  It rolls up and was like wearing a bra with arm sleeves. 
• My last Blue and Gold Banquet tonight.  My Webelo will be a Boy Scout in March.  Will try not to go overboard on all the good food (it's a potluck).