This Sunday is my first marathon of the year. I'm going to be running in the Boulder Marathon. I've had a great summer of training and am feeling ready and excited.
This Fall I'm shooting for three marathons in twenty-nine days. It's going to be a stretch, but I think I can recover quick enough to be ready for the next one. In two weeks, I'll be heading off to visit my family and run in the New Hampshire Marathon...and then it's back to CO for the Denver Marathon.
Needless to say, my running has been a huge part of my life. It is a way to relieve stress, while feeling alive! By that I mean, it gives me the chance to use my body & mind to it's fullest extent. Running builds space into my life to relax (I know you're thinking there are much better ways to relax than while huffing it for 20+ miles). Overtime, the discomfort of running has done a 180 and now I look forward to it. I don't listen to music, so I usually have a lot of quiet, early morning time to think while I run. I have never appreciated sunrises as much as I do on my runs (the above photo was from my last training run on Thurs AM). I've come to value this "space" that is a refuge when the rest of life's demands press in.
The actual marathons are more of a celebration of the journey to get there. Thousands of runners coming together...all with unique journeys and reasons to run...all attempting to accomplish the same goal that is 26.2 miles away. For some reason the whole experience is very powerful. I'm thankful to be a part of it.
I didn't mean to give a sermon here, but thought I'd share a bit about why I do this.
You are such an inspiration!!! I don't feel up for a marathon at the moment, but my hourish workouts at the rec center are totally a stress reliever. I look forward to the classes, feed off the energy of a room full of people focused on the same goal, and enjoy the sore muscles for days to come. It was really a time with God yesterday too. I took cycling and man, there was a lot of "Okay God, I'm gonna need you to pitch in here for the last 20 minutes." Who knows, maybe next Spring!
ReplyDeleteVery cool! My dad and brother are both marathon runners, and I think it is a great thing! My dad is running the Chicago Marathon in a few weeks. It's great to have an excape and a challenge. Have fun on the journey!
ReplyDeleteI am so impressed Woody. If only I had 10% of your energy. =) I am, however, enjoying walks around Solvang that I've missed for the past two years.
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