In memoriam

Today, I learned of a tragic loss in the running community. Sally Meyerhoff, one of the most elite runners in the country, died when her bicycle collided with a pickup truck. She was only 27 years old. Reading her last blog entry, dated Sunday the 6th, this part gives me chills:

"I cannot express how HAPPY I am with where I am in my life right now though, and how grateful I feel for being able to do what I do. I just wouldn't trade it for anything and any time I am feeling not very motivated, I think about how miserable I feel when I am not training or doing something else I don't LOVE. I totally and completely love this life I'm living and the most fabulous thing is that I know it's only going to get 20 times better by the end of the year. Woo hoo baby!"

Reports of the accident say that she died instantly. I wonder what her last thought was, or if she even had time to process what was about to happen. She died doing something she loved: pushing herself to her limit. She was slated to run the NYC Half Marathon 11 days from now. She collided with the truck because, according to police, she failed to yield at an intersection. Another one of those freak accidents cutting short the lives of extraordinary people. All premature deaths are unsettling, but especially are those of talented athletes- these are some of the healthiest people in the world, and yet they can still be snatched from the earth in a blink of an eye. What does that mean for the rest of us?