Four short years ago, I felt lucky after escaping one of those terrible 2-mile gym fitness runs．I hated 1 ; it was just something that 2 came easily to me．At that time, if you had．told me that I would one day run a marathon, I'd have told you in all honesty that I had a better 3 of winning the lottery(彩票)．
The turning 4 came when I met Mrs．Gray．She was fifty years old, going through chemotherapy(化疗)for her cancer, and still 5 to run 30 miles a week．I 6 that if Mrs．Gray could run 6 miles at a time, I could run at least one or two．In February, in a cold weather, I started to walk a 2-mile 7 around my neighborhood．Two months later, I 8 the whole route, running, for the first time．I felt exhausted, 9 I felt happy．
Over the next several years, I continued to push each run for a few 10 minutes, slowly building my endurance(耐力)．I didn't need to 11 against other runners, for my most important competitor was myself．
After continuing to 12 myself, I knew it was time to step it up．I 13 I would train for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon．
Race day 14 came, and I was filled with excitement and wbrry．It was final time to see what I was made of．The 15 ended up incredibly．I did 16 through the last few miles, but after my journey, there was no doubt in my mind that I'd finish．As I 17 the finish line, I experienced the strongest sense of 18 and happiness I ever had in my life．I was now a marathoner．
As John Bingham once said, "The 19 isn't that I finished．The miracle(奇迹)is that I had the 20 to start．"
As my wife greeted me one evening, her voice came through the door,“Guess what?”
I always take a deep 1 on this very leading question．“What?”I asked．
“I just won a sales contest at work and the 2 is dinner for two at the new fancy restaurant down by the river-front!”
She was so 3 ．We knew the restaurant was extremely good．“See?I told you there would be a 4 for me to wear my new spring outfit,”she shyly reminded me．
“ 5 can play at that game,”I responded．“I will wear my gray suit, my Borsalino imported straw hat and a new silk tie．We will be well 6 ．”
It was early 7 and nearing dusk as the waiter took us to a table by a window, with a(n) 8 of the river．And the table was 9 set, with a smoke-gray tablecloth and bright colored napkins．
A delicious meal 10 in such an atmosphere should be remembered a long time．As it 11 , this will probably never be forgotten．
As the shadows lengthened, the 12 rocking by the riverbank, I murmured,“Why not take a walk?”
Hand in hand, we walked by the stores．People smiled and nodded．“I 13 realized there were so many 14 people as we have seen this evening, dear,”I observed．
“Probably your new straw hat or your 15 ,”she said．
After receiving many smiles, we 16 ourselves back at the restaurant, looking at ourselves in the 17 ．It was then that I saw the 18 for all the smiles．
Caught in the fly of my trousers and 19 down for all to see was a bright red 20 from the restaurant!
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