stretching

This was originally posted on September 27, 2005, shortly before I walked the Portland Marathon.

I didn't actually set out to tell you about Robin McKinley, but once I got started, I just couldn't help it. Here's the quote that got me started. In context, a vampire is talking about how it feels to touch the magical web of light that the master wardskeeper has given to the untrained magic handler who ... um ... never mind. You don't need context, do you? Context is highly overrated.

It's about change and growth, and when I read it, it felt right.

"Does it hurt you?"

"When you are a little too hot, a little too cold, does it hurt? Or if you pick up something a little too heavy for you, does it hurt? It is only a little pressure on the understood boundaries of yourself."

A week from Sunday, I will tie my shoes and put on my hat and walk 26.2 miles. The understood boundaries of myself have changed as I have trained, and while their moving has indeed been painful from time to time, I would not put them back if I could.