This is my city

...at 10:24 yesterday morning, brisk and bathed in sunshine and with the resistance of wind at every turn.

This is the path along the lakefront that connects my son's school, my church, the beach we walked to on summer days when I was a kid, downtown, and many other points in between.

This is where an 80-year old woman in a Northwestern sweatshirt that enveloped most of her body, bike shorts, and the much-lined but firm-jawed face of determination veered in front of me while I warmed up.

This is where two women dressed in kitty costumes with drawn-on whiskers slowed stretch and fix their wagging furry tails at mile two.

This is where the guy in the bike covered in flags and beaten up silk flowers and race bibs sped past me with a smile, a honk of his horn and a thumbs up.

This is where skinny, big, older, younger, hungover, bodybuilder, coffee-sipping, stroller pushing, recumbent biking, meandering, photographing, dog walking and gut-it-out people made their way on wheels and feet from one bend of the city to another.

This is where the running clubs meet.

This is where the light on the expansive water and stretch of skyline soothe my soul and remind me that I am exactly where I am meant to be, in so many senses of the phrase.

This is where I ran 7.25 miles yesterday.

This is the path where I met a goal I set a year ago when I started running seriously, before injuries and after I realized there was more in my body and warrior spirit than walking could offer.

This is, at least to me, a big, wonderful deal that I will top next Saturday by two more miles stretched out in this city.