*Craig, Lisa, and Lilly gave me a bracelet right when I started training that had a charm with the quote, "It's not a sprint, it's a marathon." It was a gentle reminder that this was going to take time, that this was going to be a process that required patience.
*Ruth placed water bottles in a tree on Frankfort Avenue for one of our long runs. Thankful for that!
*Kelly's husband was our very own aid station and met us with water and oranges not once, but twice. Thankful for that!
*I was ecstatic when someone asked, "How far are you running tomorrow?" and I could say, "Only 10" or "just 12." It sounded so rude, but it was so true in the big picture. I never imagined that 10 and 12 miles would feel so manageable.
*Leigh, Ruth, and Kelly were ALL out of town for our Saturday 20 miler. I was nervous to be alone, but Lorri and Jim adopted me for the day and openly welcomed me to run with them. Thankful for them! They were awesome mentors for our training group!
*If it wasn't for Leigh asking me to join her and Ruth on a cold Wednesday evening, I would have been left alone. I remember we ran 4 miles that night and I instantly felt comfortable and an "official" part of a running community. Thankful for that!
*I never thought I would literally run giant circles around the city or Louisville. Did that!
*I appreciate our training coordinator Solomon for being the most genuinely nice, positive and encouraging person. I couldn't have asked for a better person to lead us. He helped me view myself differently as a runner. He helped me see myself as an ACTUAL runner. When he would say, "You guys are awesome" or "You guys crushed it," he made me feel like I was important and more that just a person in the back-of-the-pack. He helped me break down the feeling of being in the back as a negative feeling. In reality-I now know (and truly believe) it's okay to be in the back. That doesn't make me any less of a runner.
*I never thought I would run the length of Eastern Parkway or Frankfort Avenue. Did that!
*This is going to sound super silly, but I always wanted to be a person comfortable running on Bardstown Road. I wanted to fit into that culture, but never felt comfortable. Now one of my favorite route goes right down it.
*I never thought I would run outside with temps so cold that my water bottle would literally freeze.
*I learned that training requires certain things to feel safe. I am now an owner of a head lamp and blinking lights.
*I am thankful for the time Leigh surprised us with chocolate milk. I didn't even like chocolate milk, but I learned to.
*I learned to never miss a Monday.
*I learned that Vaseline works wonders.
*I trusted my training. I followed what I was told.
*I learned that champions are made on Wednesdays. Wednesdays were tough. They consisted of hills, tempos, intervals, and the worst weather always seemed to be on Wednesday.
A dark and cold hill-repeat Wednesday.
*I never thought I would run warm-up miles before a race much less run more miles after a race. Did that!
*I learned that fueling is important and what works for others may not work for you.
*I learned the value of stretching.
*Cross-training played a huge role in my confidence level. Thanks Heath!
*I looked forward to our weekly emails that had a quote that gave inspiration and motivation to keep going.
*I learned that not all runs are going to be great runs.
*I learned to embrace the rain.
Seeking out puddles.
*The thought of running miles 3 miles in the middle of a marathon in Iroquois Park was intimidating. Practice is important-not just for the body, but the mind too. We went ahead of time and ran the loop multiple times.
*I missed 2 maybe 3 Thursday runs and I almost panicked, but sometimes a break is needed.
*There are some hills that really get me. Dog Hill (on the golf course side) is a tough hill. Every time I made it to the top I would say that a little piece of me died, but after a while I decided that every time I made it to the top a little piece of the hill died! Perspective can change a lot.
*My initial goal was to embrace the marathon training and to simply finish. Now my goal is to be better! I'm gonna do this again. :)
*I am inspired to pass along all of the support I received on race day. Who wants a sign?!?!
*I learned it's important to figure out what your stomach can hold before a long run.
*I almost always saw someone I knew on a long run Saturday. That was motivating.
*I enjoyed talking about my goals because ultimately I had to hold myself accountable for achieving them. I ran the miles, I put in the time, I did this. Now, I could not have done this without my support system! I included as many people in my journey that cared to be a part of it. That helped me hold myself accountable. If someone asked me about running, I wanted to be able to be honest and proud.
*I learned that towards the end of training you can mark any type of Saturday plans right off your calendar. Not much is going to get accomplished after a 16 miler or more.
*It was reinforced that you can not worry about what others think of you.
*I learned to be thankful that I am able to run and that when we run it's important to run for those who are unable.
*Ryann gave me the cutest pre-race gift. She is wise beyond her years.
*You can laugh all you want at my car sticker, but that will just add fuel to my fire. I'm proud of my sticker.
*I realized that I should have joined a training group sooner.
*A girl I work with, Lindsay, randomly left me awesome running quotes in my mailbox! I am thankful for those.
*A girl I work with, Lindsay, randomly left me awesome running quotes in my mailbox! I am thankful for those.
*As more moments pop into my head, I'll add them to the list.
I love every single one of these!
ReplyDeleteTo have friends who comes out to support & help your journey? That's priceless.
I feel like I'll never be a "bardstown road runner' either - so I'm applauding you that you are now in that level of runners :)