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Monday, January 28, 2013

Small Victories Mean More...



   Finally finished putting up my running medals in the new house today! I think it turned out really nice. Only one problem, there's no more room for any more. Going to have to buy a second rack I think...
   After taking this picture I stood there for a moment and thought about all the hard work that it took to get each one of those damn things! For each and every race it wasn't the medal that meant something to me; they're only cheap pieces of metal. I've been displaying them for the past two years. Before that I pinned them on a garage wall.
   Last year I finished my tenth marathon. I even managed to reach my goal of running a sub four hour race. Crossing that finish line was like winning the Super Bowl for me. It was a VERY good feeling. But the best memories I have are the ones from the months of training.
   I remember the weather was unseasonably hot and humid all summer long. It made for some tough long runs. But I managed to finish every single one very, very sweaty.
   I remember watching the brilliant yellow sunrise on more than one run out on those roads. I also remember finishing some runs with a cherry red glow through what seemed the entire sky at sunset.
   At the time, we lived next to a park with three large ponds and lots of tall trees. It was beautiful but it attracted Canadian geese in droves. Word to the wise, don't run anywhere near a gosling unless you want some speed work. I remember getting chased on more than on occasion by pissed off geese mothers!
   I remember all the great music and podcasts that I listened too. I love my running music playlists. Music has always helped me with my running. Motivation is so important. Sometimes the perfect song can get you over that hill. If you've never checked out a running podcast, email me and I'll give you some excellent suggestions. The run-net community is amazing and always eager to send support when you need it most. Met a lot of incredible people that way last year!
   I remember finding out I got skin cancer and winning the battle with it. I got a healthy dose of respect for the sun and the damage it can do. I remember experimenting with different sunscreen brands trying to find one that would stick for three hours or more. Lots of stinging eyes. Some runs I swear I finished blind!
   I remember loosing more weight than I have in a long time thanks to a new cross-training and diet program. I never felt so good! I remember looking down at my Garmin watch grinning from ear to ear when I realized that my goal pace I wanted to run in the Rochester marathon felt easy for the first time in nine years.
   I remember all my friends and family supporting me in countless ways through my training. They we there when it was good. They were there when it was bad. They were there. To train for a race like that takes a lot of time and requires a lot of sacrifice. Sometimes at the expense of your loved ones. It takes special people to understand and allow that to happen.
   I remember hearing on the news about a local triathlete who was hit and killed by a drunk driver while biking on the same road I religiously trained on. The next day I ran by the spot where she was killed. Her family and friends had set up a makeshift memorial to her on the side of the road. I stopped, knelt, cried and prayed for a complete stranger who had died doing something she loved. I got up, looked up and said thank you for not being me.
   All my marathons, half-marathons, 10K's, 5K's and other races that I've run have memories like those. As a society all of us get caught up in doing things quickly. We've become slaves to the clock. Runners know that more than most. We become obsessed with getting faster, setting more personal records, beating just one more person in that race.
   Life is a lot like a race. Run your race, my friends, doing what you love to do. Whatever that may be, do it well. Perfect it each day. But remember, it's not about the destination...it's about the journey.
   Run for your life...

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