I spent a few hours at the SLC airport yesterday, waiting for my delayed flight…delayed flight that never was. Fog in Chicago ended my hopes of getting home yesterday and so, I am still in Utah. The good news is that I am “stuck” with my family and a bunch of good friends, so it’s not so bad. And, while I was supposed to hang out with the lovely Sarah and her boyfriend in NYC, I will get to see her when she returns tonight. And thankfully, they were staying in my apartment in New York, so my plants aren’t dead and my mailbox isn’t overflowing.

While I was sitting at the airport for hours, I ran into my darling cousin Maddie who was on her way to see her sister, Ali, and her new niece. Then, as luck would have it, my favorite running partner, Anne, was at the airport with her husband waiting for their flight to DC. I hadn’t met him before and I hadn’t seen Anne in almost two years (since we ran the SLC half marathon together in April 2009). They came to my gate to see me off just as I found out I wouldn’t be going anywhere and kept me company while I waited for Southwest to call me back and my dad to return from P-town to pick me up. And, had I waited just a little longer before going back through security, I would have seen Puz, who was on his way back to Germany via Paris (that will be me someday).

All in all, the hours in the airport were far from wasted. And then, because I was in town last night, I was able to attend Jenna’s bro-in-law’s b-day party and see a lot of my favorite people from NYC; Jenna, Alisa, Sara, and Kevin.

Now, when I found out my flight was canceled, I realized I would be able to get my run in…fast forward a few hours and I have almost forgotten about running entirely.  I got home, ate dinner with my fam, and then headed over to the party. I wasn’t planning on staying very long, but I do love my NYC friends and I do hate missing out on anything… At about 8:30, I thought, “If I want to get my run in, I should probably head home.”

But then I was having fun talking to everyone and I hate missing out on social time. I texted my brother around 8:40 to make sure I’d be able to use the treadmill (it’s in my brother and sister-in-law’s bedroom). No response. And so I kept procrastinating. Finally, at 9:00, I knew that if I didn’t leave right then I wouldn’t have time to get my three miles in. It was decision time.

These are the moments when it’s so easy to say, “It’s just this one time. I won’t skip tomorrow, but today I really want to hang out with my friends.” The problem is that there is always some excuse. Always. And so, as hard as it was, I left my friends and headed home to run.

The good news is, I got the run in. The bad news is I am very out-of-shape in the running department, so the “run” was a little painful and even slower than usual. I just have to remember that it’s all progress as long as I’m doing it. And now, for the songs that got me through yesterday’s run:

I Want You Back – The Jackson Five
Stop – Jane’s Addiction
The Way You Make Me Feel – MJ (apparently, Michael and I were having a thing yesterday)
I Think I’m In Love With You – Jessica Simpson
Summer Love – JT

There were others, but those are the ones I remember that helped me keep going. I had forgotten just how much I love Jane’s Addiction. Maybe because liking them makes me feel very old. Anyway, I got the run in and felt very satisfied as I went to sleep last night. Today…no running. Just strengthening…toning video, here I come.