All the Pieces

Christmas: new running belt, Eagle Creek park pass for hills, 3 Under Armour compression shorts, 3 Nike running shorts, 1 marathon medal holder, iTunes cards.

Day after Christmas: 1 flight booked to Duluth, MN, 1 hotel booked, 1 Resort and Spa trip booked to celebrate after it's all over.

Health: Cortisone shot received in hip a few weeks ago, weekly trips to the chiropractor, summer of physical therapy.

I have all the pieces I need. However, there is that one pesky little thing that needs to happen: running. I've been sick for a week and unable to run. The really bad part is my motivation was finally back last week! So, as cliche as it is....TOMORROW I will start running again.

The Road to the End

I started running when I was 30. I thought I would run a 1/2 marathon once. Then, I would be done. After all, I hated running. I still do, actually. But somehow, as much as I hated it, I also loved it. So, I did a second 1/2 marathon that year. Then, year 2 came. I went just a little crazy...3 full marathons and 5 1/2 marathons. Serious achievement and accomplishment along with the honor of being named a Rock n' Roll Marathon Rock Legend. Also, I became slower...let's understand I already wasn't fast. I knew I would never be super awesome, but I always thought, I could at least get a little better. But, after that I went through injury after injury and just couldn't maintain my speed, let alone get better. Year three came. Fighting through all the injuries and disappointments, I only made it to the start (and finish) line of three 1/2 marathons. Still no PR's, not 100% healthy, but knowing this is as good as it is going to get.
I ran my first marathon in 4:39:12. Not bad for a first marathon, but I knew I could do better. Marathons 2 and 3 were a disgrace so no proving anything with those. As much as I don't want to go through the pain of training again, I need to run one last marathon to prove to myself I can do it. I can do better.

Training starts soon. The month of January is just about getting consistent miles in which has been a rarity the last few months. Come February, serious business begins.  I'm a little nervous even writing about this because I know the people who know me as a runner don't believe I can run fast, or even faster than I do. I think they would laugh if I told them my goals. But that doesn't matter, I have my last marathon to train for. This one means everything to me.