One Step at a Time

April 17: 12 miles
April 24: 20 miles!!!

I was nearly as anxious to run the twenty miles as I am to run the marathon. Oh, by the way, I signed up for the marathon on Monday! Friday the 23, the wind was blowing so hard, I decided I didn't care which way the wind was blowing, I was just running with it. I had planned to run to Malta (or nearly there) for my 20 miles the whole time, and was glad to see the wind cooperate. I was running pretty well until about mile 16, when I stopped to find some water Nate stashed for me. I looked all over and couldn't find it. I finally found it right where he told me he left it. I took a drink and tried to run again, but my body was tightening up. I did finish, but my body seemed to fight me every step. When I finished, Nate was there to pick me up (since I ran with the wind, there was no turn around. Nate was kind enough to drive and get me.) He told me I did a great job, but all I could think was that on race day, I have a whole other 10k to run. It will get done.

On my run, I thought, as I have other times, how our life is like a run. Each step we take gets us one step closer to the end. All roads lead to home. If I run a loop, each step is a step in the right direction, and is a step closer to the finish. When I run an out and back, it seems as if I am getting farther and farther from my goal, but it is good to know that at any time I can turn around and head for home. It is my choice. Sooner or later, though, I always turn around. Every step I take is one step closer to the finish.

So it is with life. Each step, for good or bad, takes us closer to our finish. Sometimes we are running a loop, and continually moving forward. Sometimes, we are running an out and back, seeming as if we are going the wrong direction. Isn't it good to know that we can turn around at any point. It is our choice. I think most of us, sooner or later, turn around. Whether we do or not is up to us. However, every step we take still takes us closer to the finish. How we finish is up to us, noone else.

Today I celebrate free agency. It is great a gift to be able to determine our own destiny, our own happiness, our own fate. We are not products of our circumstance, we are builders of our future. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control, but we still have a choice in how we react to each and every situation. Life is what we make it. I choose to make it great. I choose to love it, experience it, and help others love and experience it. Running helps me do just that. I feel great when I run. It helps me see how great my life is. I will remember and celebrate this fact on my hard runs. Today determines my future, so to make that future shine, today I will run.

Long Runs

Long run week of March 6: 15 miles
Long run week of March 13: 16 miles
Long run week of March 20: 12 miles
Long run week of March 27: 17 miles
Long run week of April 3: 18 miles
Long run week of April 10: 19 miles

I haven't logged my miles in quite some time, so I can only remember the long runs. Last time I wrote, I was afraid I might have a hip injury that would sideline me. I almost didn't run the next weekend. I went ahead and ran, and only had minimal pain. It is almost healed now. The week I ran 14 was the worst week for me. I was discouraged, maybe that is why I haven't written since. Now I am only 7 miles away from the 26, and I know I can make it. My question now is, how long will it really take.
I had a hard run again Saturday, the wind was torturous. I ran with a group in Burley for about seven miles, then headed home to Declo just as the wind started blowing. When I got to 250 E, I decided I better run South for a mile, to add a couple more miles. It was a good thing I did then, because I never would have finished if I wouldn't have. The wind got to blowing so hard, I was barely moving. The only thing that kept me going was that I didn't have any other way home, and Austin had a t-ball game at 10:00. Anyway, it nearly killed me, or I thought it would, but I made it.
I have known for sometime, but have reaffirmed the fact that running is 90% mental, (see, Joe the snowboard instructor was right). Running long is hard, but, as stated by others, if you can run a mile, you can run a marathon. Someone asked me, "How can you run 16 miles, I get tired at 4." I told them, I get tired at 4, too, when I am running 4. It is all in your head. If you think you are running four, you will get tired before you're finished. If you think you are running 16, you will feel pretty good at four, but get tired before 16. I hope if you think you are running 26, you will feel great at four, medium at 16, and not get tired unitl about mile 24. I guess if I believe that is how it will work, it probably will. Maybe I should believe I won't get tired until 26.

So, in a bold move, today I will celebrate the wind. The last few weeks the wind has blown every time I have run. And when I say blow, I mean knock-you-over, take your breathe away, blow. My friend Lisa has a great saying when she rides in the wind, "I love the wind, it makes me strong." I too, love the wind (cringe) it makes me strong. That saying is true, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Isn't it funny how those things that are the hardest, help us the most. As I run, I think about what my brothers always tell me when I inform them that it is blowing in Declo, "It never blows in Boise." See how strong I will be, I will blow by those other runners, as the wind blows by me. I will be stronger because of the wind, and for that, I celebrate the wind. That being said, I hope the wind doesn't blow when I run tomorrow.