Marathon Craziness

I don't always like to post about my marathon training because I know many of my readers (all 5 of you!) think I am nuts. I don't want to add to that notion. :-)

However, marathon training is truly a big part of who I am. Running has been a solace for me and has brought me amazing friendships and answers to prayers. That sounds cheesy, but it's true. I have been on a little bit of a quest to find my more creative side, and I read that running can be a creative outlet and "zen" like and I realized that's what it does for me. I love it!

So, about a week after my miscarriage, I decided to sign up for a marathon. I knew I needed something to get me out of bed and get me moving. I am very goal oriented and I enjoy knowing what I will be doing that day. I realized that one of my friends, Stephanie, was training for the same marathon and it is her first one. Thankfully we run about the same pace, so we have been a great match (I think!) for this training cycle. I am not in a place to do speedwork and some of the other runners are running much faster miles than we are. It has been a fantastic training time and I have enjoyed getting to know Stephanie even better. She has been very dedicated to her program and it has been rewarding to see her reach each new "milestone." We will be running the Newport Marathon in 3 weeks. I am very excited to run the marathon with Stephanie, as long as I can keep up. I still feel like my body is recovering. We had a great run on Saturday and she wrote a fantastic post about it. Thanks Steph!

2 weeks ago there began a few emails asking if anyone was signing up for the St. George Marathon. I didn't really think much of it because my last St George Marathon was in 2010 and it was very disappointing. I felt ready to qualify for Boston and had worked very hard. The weather was warm and I just could not keep up the faster pace. I decided to take a break from marathons and begin trying for another baby. I didn't think I would want to do St George again. As I saw more emails, I was hit by the bug. I started getting excited about it. I knew that with a full marathon already under my belt, I am in the perfect spot to begin speedwork. I still need to lose about 10 lbs, but I have about 6 weeks before training would start. I ran it by Jeff thinking he would nix it, but he told me to go for it. So, there was 2 groups of us that decided to sign up, including Sarah from Texas (yeah!), and even Jeff surprised me by signing up for his first one. So, here we go.  I am excited to train with Jeff and all my running buddies. (except for Marnie- who will be having a baby- lucky girl!).

Why I run-
1. For exercise- I have always known my body needs intense exercise.
2. For endorphins- I love how I feel after a run.
3. For clarity- My mind is clearest during a run.
4. For friendship- I love a chance to chat and get to know others.
5. For accomplishment- I love setting and achieving goals- and getting back up if I don't make a goal.
6. To be an example for my kids
7. To be outside in nature
8. To see the world a different way
9. To be strong
10. To find myself.