Well I watched the movie "Spirit of the marathon" for the second time the other night. I had seen it before but at the time it was not as significant because I was training to run the New York City marathon and this movie is centered around training for the Chicago marathon. Well now I'm training for Chicago and the movie was something I greatly needed. My motivation for running is lacking right now. I'm tired, I'm sore from moving, I hurt my back moving a concrete bench, the hills are so steep around here that my legs feel like they have concrete in them, and worst of all I am the lone runner. (could I have more excuses? :-). If you watch the movie you will see the girl that always runs alone, she seems much more at peach with that than I am. I am missing my running partner, Christine terribly. I miss my running club members especially on days like today, Tuesdays are track day, speed work outs. So the movie helped me a bit, that is until I went for my long run this past Sunday. I did not scout my route ahead of time and picked one of the roads with the steepest hills in the area. My 16 mile scheduled run turned into a 13 mile run. I just couldn't take another step. It's amazing because I do love running up here, just not over 13 miles. Everyone says it will make me stronger for Chicago. The really good news is that I'm leaving for Hawaii this Saturday and will be there for 10 days, so all my runs will be on FLAT land in Kawaii. I hear it's beautiful there. When I get back I will drive around some other areas and try to find better routes for my remaining long runs.
So back to the movie, I highly recommend it, it's well done, interesting, and motivational. Tonight after track work out (if it will stop raining and storming) I am going to watch "Marathon man, 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days". Gee if that can't motivate me then there's no hope. I am doing my longest run to date in Hawaii, 16 miles. We are also shooting a video for Milestones Jewelry. It will be on my website and I'll post on this blog as well, oh yea and UTube. Hope it comes out great. So I guess my lesson for this post is that even when you are unmotivated, lonely and just don't want to do something, but know you need to; just get up and do it anyway. I know the lone running will make me mentally stronger and the hills better make me physically stronger. And after all that is what the marathon of life is all about; putting one foot in front of the other, "relentless forward motion". And when I dig down deep I know that the challenges I face in my training for the marathon are nothing compared to what so many face everyday. and I know that I am thankful for my Health and thankful that I CAN run. So I'm asking myself right now "Are you going to be a wimp today? or are you going to go out in the stormy weather and give it all you've got? It's time for the lone runner to lace up her shoes and go to track and run my scheduled workout as best I can. Stay tuned for the outcome!!!!!!!!!!!
