I had planned to run in the Soldier Field 10-mile race this Memorial Day weekend. I trained for more than two months, spending hours on a treadmill when the sidewalks were still icy and then more hours outside, running in the sun and the rain and the wind. I did my best to keep training when life intervened, running early and late. I tolerated stiff muscles and the aches and pains that come with being in my 40s. When it was difficult, I remembered the passage from St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). Then, three days before the race, I stepped on the treadmill for a short run and felt a pain in my foot. As I ran, it got worse instead of better, and I knew I had to stop. By the time I got home, it hurt more, so much that I tried to avoid even walking on it. By then, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to run in the race. When it still hurt two days later, aggravated by trying to carry a 5-year-old up the stairs (yes, I know it was a bonehead move), I went to the doctor to rule out a stress fracture. No broken bones, but a prescription of four to six weeks of rest, with ice and over the counter pain medication until it feels better. The day of the race was beautiful, sunny and not too hot, and I really wished I could be there, but just the idea of the amount of walking it would take to get to the finish area and watch the runners come in was painful. So I stayed home, and not to be too cliché, counted my blessings. I had done a 10-mile training run the weekend before, so I already proved to myself that I could do it, which was one of the reasons I wanted to try. I got back into better shape and started to run regularly again, something I hadn’t done since Teresa was born. My running gave me something in common with Frank, who runs track as well as plays hockey. Now, as my foot starts to feel better, I’m looking for ways to get exercise that won’t put too much pressure on it until I can start running again. Swimming first, maybe, then biking? But I should probably wait until walking doesn’t hurt anymore for that. In the meantime, there’s a 15K race in November. I should have plenty of time to be ready by then.