As I drove to my meeting location of Isleta Casino on Hwy 47, my heart began beating faster as I noticed coming off the I-25 exit that the flashing lights ahead and on the road west of me were the Flag Runners approaching the Casino. My first thoughts were that I was late but I soon realized that I was doing 50 mph and they were only running. I arrived in time to an enthusiastic crowd of scheduled runners. We took off as a group for the first half mile or so and it was kinda windy, so I thought that we were in for a rough run trying to carry the flag and run against the wind. The wind soon died down and as I took over for my 5 mile stint. I became mesmorized at the beauty of the night sky, the well wishers along the way and the thoughts that were running through my head. My thoughts included all the people who had touched this flag, where it had been, the reason we were doing this, the look on the faces of the well wishers I saw along the way, how lucky I am to be a free American and the willingness of the American people to pull together to make this possible. Unfortunately in my state of mind, I just kept running at a brisk pace leaving my fellow runners behind. For this I want to apologize in that I didn't really make it a team effort. I just got caught up in the moment and didn't realize how fast I was running until some 10-12 miles later, some other runners from the group joined me, along with a group of 6 to 8 horse riders. I found the sound of hoofs on pavement very relaxing and enjoyable. After a few miles we stopped for a 10 minute break and at this point I realized I had done most of the running and decided to catch a ride back to the origin point. I will truly remember that night as one of the most enjoyable running and life experiences I have ever had. Thanks to all involved, especially my fellow runners and support crew. God Bless.

Jeff Miller

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