September's 2008 ExtraOrdinary Award Winning Story
This is a post from my blog, See Nat Run, Amy asked if I would post it here. She asked me to do this in May. Yes it took me 4 months to do that. Good thing she didn't ask me to take out the trash. I'm not even sure you have Caramilk in the states.
I ran my first marathon in 2005 because to me, it was the most hysterical thing I could do. "You're looking good." ?"Thanks. I started running."?"You what?"?"Started running, I'm going to do the marathon in May."?"Right." ?"No seriously."
Fact is when I went to see the trainer, I didn't even know when the marathon was. No clue even as to season. In fact, I'm not even sure I knew that Ottawa had a marathon. But I had seen the Eco-challenge and had decided if these folks could spend a week without sleep and do all these things. Then I could probably run a marathon. Probably. This even though I couldn't run around the block and smoked a pack a day.*
I'd seen a story on the news about a guy who ran a marathon, it took him 15 hours or something and it was dark when he came in. His wife stood there and cheered him on. Then Richard Simmons came out to inspire him and scare him. (That would make me break a 6 minute/mile I'm sure.) If this dude could do it with Richard Simmons as a threat then I certainly could do it if Mr. Short Shorts promised to stay home. If nothing else it'll make a great column. (I was a community newspaper reporter at the time -- I had to join the dark side to support the running.)
On some fundamental level the idea amused me. Truth be told this entire running thing still amuses me greatly. I know I am runner. Because I do run. And I love it. But as anyone will tell you who knew me before, it's really a rather hysterically funny thing to think of me running. In fact, I believed they joked about running down the street with a beer in one hand and a smoke in the other. Mostly, my friends were laughing with me, and trust me, I was laughing.
Why the marathon? The marathon has been on my mind for years and years and years. I'm not sure if you've had the misfortune of getting sucked into "discover your true self" workshops for team-building. I have been on a number of them. (I think they, like water boarding, should be outlawed by the Geneva convention.) They ask you to set goals. To tell your darkest secret. 10 things you need to do before you die. Where are you 10 years from now? Seven skills of highly effective people (Number one: they don't go to workshops on how to be effective.) Things like that.
My goal in these things was always to try set two or three real goals, and then make up three or four things that have nothing to do with anything. (Also keeping me sane and amused.) The one thing that kept coming up was the marathon (usually in the silly category). I decided that maybe just maybe I could do it, and I'd get a good story out of it. (Don't we all love fat girl reformed?)
So when it became clear that I was too out of shape to chase The Boy around the park or play tag or soccer or whatever, I would take up something without a schedule and that was very portable and flexible. Running. Running with a goal because god knows I would not run without one. I would run a marathon. No clue about anything... not a clue... just knew that I needed goal. So how does an out-of-shape mom become a marathon runner...
Now I will divulge the Caramilk secret of marathon training. The only way you will successfully complete a marathon. To finish the training for a marathon, you need one very important thing. You need to believe.
It's that belief in your own strength of will that carries you through. The body will withstand the miles (with training.) It's the knowledge that if/when you hit rock bottom in your head (always in your head), there will be a small faint voice from deep within saying "I am a marathon runner." (I chant : "I can because I am (a runner.)" The battle is not in the marathon is not physical. It is mental.
The marathon is a mind game. Mile 20 when there is nothing left, mile 21 when you are too sore to use the portapotties. Mile 22 when you would hit the guy that just yelled "Almost there" (but you don't ahve the strength.) You need to believe in you. Those last miles belong complete and only to you and no one can do them for you. It's through them that you earn your medal. It's through them that you understand your own true nature.
Oh... and a really good pair of running shoes helps.
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*I was dumb. Do not be so dumb. Going from zero to marathon was DUMB. DUMB. DUMB. Glad I did it. But it was dumb.
