I never could have guessed I’d run my third half marathon alone. I ran one through Uptown Charlotte with a friend. I ran another through downtown Savannah with my best friend from college. This Quarantine Half informally happened as a product of spending so much time at home.

My running friend and I had started to ramp up our distance runs a bit right before all of this happened (our last in-person run together was back on March 14 – it feels like forever ago now). Once we both started working from home (March 16) and social distancing (March 16), we just kept it up. We’ve planned countless runs, short and long, that we’ve started and ended at the same time. And after a few attempts to call each other and talk via Bluetooth while we run, we now just call to chat on our walks home after. (Trying to hear someone else over your own gasps for air over speakers over traffic noise is just too much to be relaxing.)

Today was just one more of those days, with a bit of extra hydration the night before. I ran for distance, not for speed. For myself, not for a medal. For the thrill of being in a body that’s healthy and moves when I ask it to, not to push my body over the edge. For opportunities to pause and notice the train tracks off Pecan, the blue/purple mural off Commonwealth, the clouds going gray above and in front of me. No expectations but to feel good – and to finish. Hopefully.

I finished and started walking. I texted my friend:

“Survived.”

A moment later she sent: “Done….”

We laughed and got on the phone. She told me about her work week, and this article. How right now your only goal should be to arrive.

“Each of us should have in mind only one goal: to arrive on the other side in one piece. Because our reality has changed, we also need to change the metrics by which we judge our success. If Satisfaction=Experience–Expectations, and much of the experience is out of our control, now is the time to make sure our expectations are realistic and achievable.”

For now, we’re just going the distance, not worried about how long it takes. Running – trying – to feel good. And, eventually, arrive.