Ideal Life Design

Half Marathon, Full Heart

Posted on 15. Oct, 2009 by admin in Motivation

Running Newbie

I started running in May, after an 18-year running hiatus. One sunny afternoon in May, while I was power walking and listening to my girl Pink on the iPod, something happened. I heard myself say, “Just run Susan.”  So I started to run and was fascinated that it felt great. I wasn’t bribing myself to work out. I hadn’t put it in my planner that I would run. But, here I was, running and liking it. Me! A former junk food junkie was running.

I ran as far as I could that day, and it turned out to be a mile and a half. Within a week I was running three miles, and within a month my friend Jill asked me to train with her for a half marathon. I decided that I would continue to LISTEN TO MY BODY. As long as it felt good, I was game.  Plus, I liked the cute running skirts.

Training

The weeks leading up to the marathon were challenging. Each week, we added a mile to our long runs on Saturdays. And every Friday, I would remind myself, “You can do this.”  Because with any goal in life, if your mind is not lined up with your body, don’t even bother. It will suck. Every weekend I was so enormously proud to burst in the front door and announce to my family, “I did it! 6 (7, 8, 9, 10) miles!” (Caffeine + runners high can be annoying for others who are just waking up on a weekend morning.)

The longer runs reinforced staying in the present moment for me. I would remind myself, “Susan, Stay In The Mile That You Are In!”  If I thought too far ahead about how many miles were left, I could get overwhelmed and the run would be harder. If I thought about how many miles I had run, I started feeling tired. I learned to take each mile, one at a time, and dedicate that mile to a topic, person, gratitude, and appreciation for the scenery around me. It’s a great tool to use when I am not running. Stay with the present moment.

The Big Day

I have to admit that from the moment I arrived at the event, I was a mixture of off-the-charts excitement and choking back sentimental tears. Here I was, looking official with a number pinned on my running clothes, standing with 2200+ runners, all brought together by a common desire to run. I looked at the sea of athletes and I thought, this is what it’s all about isn’t it? Showing up for yourself. How many successes in life are about just showing up and taking the first step? And here were 2200 of like-minded people, at 7am on a freezing 42-degree October morning, ready to go. I was overwhelmed.

I had intended on spending each mile thinking about new projects and family and friends that I love. But what I experienced instead during this half marathon nearly brought me to my knees. It was a Church service that I have never experienced inside of a church.  It was, quite simply, the closest that I have ever been to experiencing the Divine.

This is what I witnessed. Perfect strangers bundled up and standing along railroad tracks and busy roads to wave and cheer on us runners. Freezing volunteers handing out water and orange slices. Local musicians donating their time to stand on street corners to fill the air with music to keep us going. Cheerleaders with pom poms. Dancers getting their groove on to entertain us as we raced by. Families holding signs of encouragement. An 86-year-old man rockin the race–evidence that it is NEVER too late.Runners coaching each other to the finish line.

The Finish

As I kicked it into high gear during the last mile, I marinated in the lyrics of a Jennifer Lopez song, “Let’s Get Loud”:

If you want to live your life
Live it all the way and don’t you waste it
Every feeling, every beat can be so very sweet
You got to taste it, you got to do it
You got to do it your way

I left it all on the pavement. I was like a little kid again, crossing that finish line and collecting my Half Marathon medal. Big cheesy grin, full heart, showing love for myself and this amazing miracle of a human body.

It never would have happened if I wasn’t willing to listen to my inner voice. Listen to that little voice that encourages you to pick up something new. Running, dancing, sculpting, writing, knitting, scrap booking. Whatever the interest, DO IT. Show up, stay in the present moment, be grateful, and thank me later. Let’s Get Loud!

Special thanks:

Thank you to my Facebook friends who offered me encouragement, k
udos, running advice and cheered me on virtually.

Thank you to the little girl in the red flannel pajama pants with the golden retriever who looked at me during mile 7 and said, “You go girl.”

Thank you to the Hadi Shriners who dressed in their kilts and played bag pipes, banged on drums, and clapped for us as we ran by.

Thank you to the little old lady with the ukulele on the side of the road playing her fingers off and smiling.

Thank you to the water station sponsors, who passed out cups of water and orange slices while shouting good job to me.

Thank you to the school band and flag team.

Thank you to the bundled up women wearing cowboy hats and ringing bells!

Thank you to the fierce motorcycle enthusiasts who wore their chaps and jeans along with their marathon volunteer tee shirts and directed traffic. You guys rock.

Thank you to the YMCA volunteers who stood at every mile marker and said, “Good Job!”

Thank you to the little kids at the train tracks who high fived me as I ran by. I’ve never felt more like a rock star.

Thank you to the perfect strangers who stood along the route wrapped on blankets and sipped coffee while shouting and cheering for us.

Thank you to my friend Jill, my running partner, who came out to cheer me on even though she was not racing.

Thank you to my new friend Francis, who made me coffee, drove to the event, showed me where to go and gave me expert running tips.

Thank you to my husband Scott who stood at the finish line with a camera, Gatorade, flowers and a big cheesy grin.

Thank you to my son Ryan, who stood in the cold with his dad when he would rather be playing video games.

Thank you to my daughter Emily, who wanted to leave her big camp weekend early to see me cross the finish line. Next time, Em.

I am forever grateful.

Tags: Half Marathon, Listen to your body, running a half marathon, Training for a half marathon