It is less than 2 months until the official start of the 2014 Marine Corp Marathon! My brother just posted a question on my Facebook a few days ago and my dad, brothers, and I all responded with "nervous, excited, scared, etc" But I do have to say, I am a lot less scared than I was a month ago. I had taken a week off of my training for our summer vacation and as I sat at the resort with a Twisted Tea in one hand and nachos in the other, I started to get very fidgety about actually running 26.2 miles in less than 100 days! I mean, who in their right mind voluntarily signs up to do such a daunting thing on top of 4 kids, a business to run, school activities, kids sports, church, clubs, and all our harvest/field work we have to do in the next 2 months? I have never claimed that I am the sharpest knife in the drawer, but as I sat there I came to the conclusion that yes, I may not be very smart but if my husband and I can train and do this, then we can do anything!
So ever since we got back from our summer vacation, the switch has been thrown. We are dedicated to following our training schedule, have changed our nutrition, been getting adequate rest, and are in full-blown marathon-mode. Andrew gets up early in the morning to get his run in, and I do mine in the little "cracks" of my day so sometimes it is in the morning, sometimes lunch-break, sometimes right before I get the kids off the bus, sometimes around the football field while my kids are practicing, and even a few times after the kids have gone to bed for the night...but I get it done. I really have to say that my husband is my hero when it comes to doing his training. His plate is so full he barely even gets to go to bed at night. But he committed to doing this back in the spring, and he will see it through because if you have ever met him, that is just the way he is.
I am already proud of my family and the amount of time and effort we have put into training and getting 'marathon ready'. But, I do have to say that flying into our nations capital, lacing up our shoes, having those pre-race jitters during the National Anthem, and finally hearing that gun go off will be something that I will never ever forget and never be able to put into words how significant of a moment that will be in our lives. This is definitely a "Bucket List" moment for us all and I challenge you and your family to go out and do something so significant, so memorable, so moving that it changes who you are. Spending hours and hours running with just you and the pavement definitely molds you into a different person. I am glad that this isn't easy, or simple, or quick. I revel in the fact that I have to have pain, aches, sores, tiredness, blood, struggles, and even some tears to be able to do this. It means that I am alive and capable of so much more than I ever thought I would be! Take those doubts, reservations, and restrictions off yourself and do something that is so challenging that it SCARES YOU! What are you scared off? Now image how you would feel if you actually did it! Take a moment...what are you capable of? What have you always wanted to do?
So ever since we got back from our summer vacation, the switch has been thrown. We are dedicated to following our training schedule, have changed our nutrition, been getting adequate rest, and are in full-blown marathon-mode. Andrew gets up early in the morning to get his run in, and I do mine in the little "cracks" of my day so sometimes it is in the morning, sometimes lunch-break, sometimes right before I get the kids off the bus, sometimes around the football field while my kids are practicing, and even a few times after the kids have gone to bed for the night...but I get it done. I really have to say that my husband is my hero when it comes to doing his training. His plate is so full he barely even gets to go to bed at night. But he committed to doing this back in the spring, and he will see it through because if you have ever met him, that is just the way he is.
I am already proud of my family and the amount of time and effort we have put into training and getting 'marathon ready'. But, I do have to say that flying into our nations capital, lacing up our shoes, having those pre-race jitters during the National Anthem, and finally hearing that gun go off will be something that I will never ever forget and never be able to put into words how significant of a moment that will be in our lives. This is definitely a "Bucket List" moment for us all and I challenge you and your family to go out and do something so significant, so memorable, so moving that it changes who you are. Spending hours and hours running with just you and the pavement definitely molds you into a different person. I am glad that this isn't easy, or simple, or quick. I revel in the fact that I have to have pain, aches, sores, tiredness, blood, struggles, and even some tears to be able to do this. It means that I am alive and capable of so much more than I ever thought I would be! Take those doubts, reservations, and restrictions off yourself and do something that is so challenging that it SCARES YOU! What are you scared off? Now image how you would feel if you actually did it! Take a moment...what are you capable of? What have you always wanted to do?
Proud of you! It's a big commitment and you are accepting the challenge!
ReplyDeleteThanks, so much, Jan for the ongoing support! It really means a lot!!
Delete