Lemonade: October 2012

October 20, 2012
26.2 Miles
DONE!

Holy Smokes!

That was Hard!

But?

The Hard is What Makes it Great!!

26.2 Miler Highlights:

- I was Excited ALL Week! Not Nervous; Excited! I was Ready to Get Out on that Course and See if I Could Do This!

- At About Mile 4, I Started Talking with a Lady- She is 66 years old, and this was her 53rd Marathon! She Started Running when she was 51. In the years she has been Running, she has Overcome Cervical Cancer, Back Surgery and a Brain Tumor. This was her 8th Full Marathon this year, and she had done 20 Half Marathons this year. Her Training? She said she runs Once a week, and its a Marathon. Her Strategy? Slow and Steady. I Told her she Truly Inspired Me, and I Couldn't Wait to Share her Story. Wow.

- I Cried. A Lot.

Before we even left the house, I was teary, because My Dear Friends, had put signs up in My Yard during the night with Good Luck Wishes and "You Can Do IT!"s .

I Cried as I Crossed the Starting Line. (I'm Running a Marathon!)

I Cried at the Amazing Sun Rise.

I Celebrated as Each Mile Ticked by, and Thought "This is Going by Too Fast!!"

I Probably Hollered, "I'm Running a Marathon!" about 79 Times.

I Got Emotional thinking of all the Training We had done. All the Hundreds of Miles and Wondering IF I can Do it, or How in the World I was Going to Do it. Now, here was the easy part- just go run 26 miles.

I Got Very Emotional every time I saw My Fan Club alongside the road at random Miles, Waving Posters and Shouting and Clapping. Truthfully, I Sobbed. And Lemme tell You, its Hard to Sob and Run and Breathe at the same time- Quite Ugly.

In the last 4 Miles, I was Crying over Signs other People had made for other Runners.

And I got a little choked up at the Aid Stations and the Volunteers handing out Water.

At One Point, I think mile 24, I got a little Teary-Eyed

because I wanted to Be Done or Die!

And Yes,

When I Crossed the Finish Line? I Bawled. Big Time Ugly.

I had NEVER in My Life wanted to Run a Marathon.

But My Curiosity about "HOW and WHY in the World would Someone Ever...?" Won Out.

In My Running and Training, I've Learned that

I Learn So Much More about Myself in the Moment that I Decide to Keep Going,

than I Do in the Moment that I Decide to Quit.

I've Learned that I'm more Capable, and Stronger,

and Diligent, and Determined

than I Ever thought I was.

Also, I have the Biggest Support of a Husband.

He was Out of the Country on a Business Trip, Came Home to Support Me on My Marathon, then Flew back the Next Morning. Who Does That?

And? So many mornings when He has Gotten the kids up and dressed and fed for School, while I'm out Running, so that as soon as I Run home, I can take the kids to school. He Picked Me Up after 16 Milers and 18 Milers and drove me home. HE Believed I could Run a Marathon, before I Believed I Could. I Believed in Me, because He did.

And? This was for My Birthday.
My Birthday was the Next Day, and I wanted to Do Something to Celebrate ME.
Five Years ago, On My Birthday I Held My New Born Baby in My Arms.
Last year, I Held My First "See Your Strength and Beauty Everest Birthday Run" and Invited any Friends who Wanted to join Me to come Run with Me up a Steep Hill we All Love to Hate. We Celebrated with Smoothies and Chocolate Cake Afterwards.
This Year, I Ran My First Marathon.
Then Celebrated with Friends and Hogged out on Chocolate Cake.

One of My Favorite Quotes is from Socrates:
"It is a Shame for a [Woman] to Grow Old
without Ever Seeing the Strength and Beauty
of which [Her] Body is Capable".

How Blessed am I to See and Do all the Beautiful Things My Body is Capable of.

In the Last 3 or 4 Miles of the Marathon,

Running Partner and I said

that this was the Stupidest thing We had Ever Done.

That we would NEVER do this AGAIN!

But,

The Next Day,

We were searching for more Marathons.