22 DAYS!

22 days until...my first marathon!! I signed up for it last November after feeling particularly unmotivated to get off the couch and move. It has been sort of a bucket-list thing for me; I know I will either walk away from it thinking, "Wow, that was a great experience, I'm so glad I did it but I will NEVER do it again!" or, "Wow, that was incredible! Sign me up again!" I am hoping I react closer to the latter. I have a desire to like running, and when I AM actually on a run, I am loving it. The hardest part is by far taking the first step. (What a cheesy metaphor for life!)
Really though, I can tramp around all day in my work out clothes, vibrams, decked out with a headband and everything, but until I actually START running, I am just a girl walking around in spandex. No matter how good it feels to run, or to be done with a run, I have yet to genuinely look forward to the act of running. There are countless benefits: fresh air, exercise, getting in touch with your surroundings, moving your lymph-nodes, improving your circulation and blood flow, getting your digestion on track, improving your PRs, challenging your mind and body, not to mention being in a splendid environment for personal meditation. There are lots of reasons to run, one of which is competition (against yourself and/or others around you). Every day you compete against your self, your mile time, your distance etc. Race day is a chance to challenge how fast your feet can take you and how it compares to the people around you.
I don't plan on winning my marathon. I will be happy with a sub 5:00 time, I will be ecstatic with a sub 4:00 time. But most of all, I will be happy if I cross the finish line invigorated, feeling NOT satisfied with whatever time I get and determined to run 26.2 miles again, but faster. That will be determined by my attitude about the race, post run.
In practice for the big day, I just signed up for a 10K (about 6.2 miles) race with my sister-in-law Sarah a week from tomorrow. I am excited to be running next to someone I know and I think the "race-day adrenaline" will help me get even more excited for June 9th.
I always remind myself that there are people doing crazier things out there. There was a lady last year in the news who ran one of the many marathons under her belt 9 months pregnant, and after she crossed the finish line, went straight to the hospital to deliver her baby. Michael Arnstein (a huge role-model for me, and fellow raw vegan: check out www.thefruitarian.com) ran the Leadville 100 race in just under 18 hours...INSANITY. Then there are the Olympics coming up, where I can't help but think about the sprinters and endurance runners alike, and what they have put their bodies through to carry themselves so dang fast. Most amazing of all is Dr. Ruth Heidrich who cured herself of breast cancer with fruits and vegetables and now in her 70s, has finished the Ironman 6 times, and ran over 60 marathons, and is still competing! So is me running one marathon really that crazy?? I don't think so.