Inspiration comes from all sorts of people and sometimes where you least expect it. I've been pondering this idea lately as I try to get back into running. Let me just say that I never completely left running, but there for a while it became something I dreaded. I looked for any excuse to get out of it which then lead to guilt later. Then, when I finally did run, it felt awful...probably because it had been too long between runs. It's a vicious cycle.
First of all, I wouldn't call myself a natural runner. I don't get a runner's high pretty much ever. Not the way I do with other activities such as dance. But I do feel a certain amount of satisfaction with a job completed. A sense of accomplishment when I've broken a distance barrier. Unfortunately for me, adding distance seems to be extremely difficult. When trying to follow training plans, I have a hard time adding as much distance as is scheduled in the amount of time scheduled. I've learned to be ok with that and just accept that my body takes longer.
"So why run?", you might ask. Partly because it requires no equipment, other than shoes and partly, well.... Just to prove that I can. With my very active family, I like the fact that I can just throw on my shoes and go. I don't have to spend a bunch of money on a fitness video or waste time driving to the gym. Unfortunately, I live in a climate that sometimes forces me indoors, but that's what leads me to the real reason I run....to prove that I can. I refuse to give up. Even though I'm slow (and I'm not being modest-I run about a 10:30 min mile) and sometimes I feel like I'm going to die, and sometimes I do give up in that moment, but I get back out there the next time to prove that I'm not a quitter and that I really can do it.
So last May, I ran a 10k. It was my second one and I shaved several minutes off my time. I felt great about it. This was right at the end of the school year and less than a week later, my family was off on a trip to Disney World. It was an AMAZING trip. I didn't run while I was gone, but as much as I was on my feet, it sure felt like I had! While I was there, I signed up for my first half marathon, which takes place in Sep. When I got back from my trip, I went out on my first training run. I had found a 16 week training schedule that looked much more doable for my slow-to-add-distance pace. That first run was AWFUL. It was hot and I felt terrible. But not to worry, the next one will be better, right? WRONG. It was bad again. Not only did it feel awful, but I couldn't even finish 3 miles. 3 miles! I had just completed a 10k (6.2 miles) 2 weeks before, what was the deal?!?!?!?! I began to get discouraged and started the procrastination game, which lead to the downward spiral I mentioned earlier.
Then, in July, I went to visit a friend in Long Beach, CA. I was determined to run while there. The weather was perfect. It was just me, sans kids. No excuses. I ran once in the 4 mornings I was there. Not exactly the plan, but the one run I completed felt great! I came home determined to get back to it. If it meant running on the treadmill in the a/c, so be it.
So if you're still reading this, you're probably wondering where the inspiration part plays in. Well here goes. I have a friend named Sarah. Sarah was a classmate in college. We had classes together because we were both music ed majors at a D2 school. We got along just fine and were friendly, but she was a vocalist, while I was an instrumentalist. She was in SAI, while I was in KKPsi. I guess you could say that while we didn't travel in the same circles, our paths crossed quite a bit and it was always amicable enough. Well fast forward to 2008 when I joined Facebook. Somewhere in that first year, Sarah and I became Facebook friends. I started noticing that I often agreed with her posts and various articles. She posts a lot of comments, blog posts, and articles related to education, and I tended to agree with those too. She often posts scripture, and it always seems to be the right verse at the right time, even though we're separated by 1500 miles. And somewhere along the line, she started training for the Ironman. Yep. The real deal. Wait....Sarah was a runner? I didn't remember her running in college. I remember her having a laCrosse sticker on her car, but running? Swimming? Biking? Hmmm. Perhaps I missed that. In any case, I enjoyed following her posts regarding training and when the big day came, I enjoyed the blog post that followed with the recap. I was so proud of her. I still am. In the years since, she has had her ups and downs with training and injuries, but she still cheers me on. And I am happy when I am able to do the same for her. What makes her my inspiration? The fact that she is human like me. She struggles with many of the same issues I do and yet she keeps going. She doesn't give up. I hope that before too much longer, our paths will cross again because I think we have so much more in common this time around.
So about that half marathon. My training plan is completely de-railed. I don't see how I'll be able to run 13.1. I have a couple of options: 1. I continue with the half, knowing that I will have to walk some of it (I always make it my goal to run the entire race) or 2. I can switch it to a 10k, meaning I won't fulfill my half goal, but I may feel better about myself because I'll be able to run the whole thing. I've decided to keep running for now and see how I'm feeling as race day gets closer. I'm disappointed that I've put myself in this position, but I'm trying not to focus on what I can't change and just keep moving forward. Notice quitting was not an option. I'll be out there on Sep 23, one way or another, and I know Sarah will be cheering me on.
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