Isn't it nice that no matter where you are in life you can decide that today is going to be the day you decide to start over, create a new beginning, and in turn create a new ending?
I have been really down on myself lately for letting external factors get me down and put a damper on my running.
I was going to run my first half-marathon in October at Texas Motor Speedway with some family members, but my training for it had really slacked off and I just wasn't feeling that great about it. Brandon and I decided to go to California when Brandon's brother Kyle returns from deployment. We don't know an exact date for it, so we are kind of on hold with any "fall plans." Seeing him return from deployment outweighs any other plans we may have had. However, I do hope that we are still able to attend our beautiful cousin's wedding in October.
With all of that I made up my mind on Friday that I was going to register for the Cowtown Marathon in Ft. Worth for February. When I was 21, I always said that I was going to run a Marathon BEFORE I was 25, but it was always with a sense of "yeah, right" in the background. I turn 25 the end of this month, so I didn't make it before 25, but at least I'll still be 25.
Running has always been in my heart ever since I won my first race in high school. To think about running a marathon both excites me and scares the daylights out of me. As soon as I clicked the "Submit Payment" button on my registration I felt like I was going to be sick.
I set about making a plan, contacted my mother-in-law for some tips to get started on the right path, and by the end of the day I was super excited. I purchased Hal Higdon's "Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide" and am working my way through it. I have already teared up several times while reading it simply because of the thought of how it is going to feel to cross that finish line.
So, back to my opening line of this blog....I'm starting over. I'm starting my training all over as if I've never ran a race in my life. I have a renewed sense of excitement in my soul for this journey I'm about embark on. Tomorrow is a 2 mile day...yes, I said it 2 miles...really, that is just a warm-up for me. With the heat of the summer though 2 miles is probably about all I can tolerate right now in this heat. At the peak of my prior training, running 30 miles a week, to now running 10 miles in a week, I'm sure it is going to feel like a breeze in the beginning.
I'm not going to include my normal things in the blog such as words of wisdom or total mileage, but I am going to leave with these final thoughts from Hal Higdon's book.
"26 miles 385 yards"
"Even thinking about running that far takes a certain amount of endurance. And courage. And maybe even arrogance."
"Finishing a marathon changes your life forever."
"Completing a marathon is like tacking a PhD at the end of your name, getting married, or having a baby. You are special, and whether anyone else knows it or not, you certainly do."
I can't wait to write a blog the week after February 24 and put down all my emotions into words, if that is even possible.
Happy Running!
Marathon Countdown: 195 days 16 hours and 36 minutes
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