the end of the year blog...

so another year has passed...this year has flown by!! As I mentioned in a previous post, so much of my year has been focused on training, it feels as if it has flown by!! I can't believe that in 2 weeks from today I will be at the starting line for my first marathon attempt--and attempting to complete one of those "life long" goals I have!! That is so scary and satisfying at the same time!!!

I mean I am scared at the thought that I might not actually finish the marathon--anything could happen on the course--a pulled muscle, twisted ankle, broken knee (that is how I refer to my constant knee pain)...I could get 20 miles out and then my body might tell me that is all that it wants to go--I am praying for the health and the willpower to get through it all!!

Last Saturday I completed my final "long" run before the marathon--18 miles--I did the same course to East Nashville and back, and I could not believe how much better I felt when I was running! I truly felt ready to go the 26. Now a week later and the mind games have begun, and I keep thinking negative thoughts, and the fear is creeping up in my bones. Basically thoughts like..."well you completed the training, but you haven't done the marathon yet and you probably can't go 26.2" types of thoughts. I am trying to replace those thoughts with positive ones though, and thoughts of truth like "I can do all things through Christ who Strengthens me" and the thoughts that no matter what happens, I have still accomplished a hell of a lot just by sticking with the training regimen. Now that has not been easy!!

I am really looking forward to 2007...of course I have like 5-6 resolutions, and I pray that I stick with them...but ultimately I just want to relax and enjoy life more, enjoy tim, our sweet dogs who can be crazy maniacs, and not worry so much. Fear is so annoying and can hold you back so much. It is so cool that a core verse of the Christmas story is "and the Angel came to them and said Do Not Be Afraid"...I pray that I recall that this year in every situation that I experience fear for any reason.

I hope you have a great New Year's celebration...some of our closest frinds from Orlando are here to enjoy it with us, and I am so grateful. We are lazy bums and can just relax around each other, and that is refreshing.

And they say that they like my cooking, so that is always a bonus!!

Happy New Year!!

Leigh

the real purpose

so I was in Niketown in Denver a few weeks back, and saw this quote...

"The real purpose of running isn't to win a race, it's to test the limits of the human heart." - Bill Bowerman

I love that quote; as I am a perfectionist and competitor to the core, it has been such a lesson for me to think of this marathon as something not to win, but to finish. And dang, I love winning, I hate HATE HATE losing. Much mre emphasis is needed on that--I hate to lose. Ask my husband. :) (PS: he is a GODSEND!!)

I am still battling a knee injury, and my arch on my right foot has been bothering me...and I am less then a month away. I so want to push myself in my last month of training, but I have to be disciplined to think about the real goal--it is not my time, or who I beat to the finish...it is FINISHING that is the victory. And finishing well.

This is a test of my heart, and my mind.

I am honestly glad I am doing this, and I can not wait to go to Phoenix...but man this is incredibly challenging!!

visiting East Nashville...

so Saturday was the big 18 mile training run...I was very stressed out before I went running, and it was 20 degrees when we started...usually I do not look at the course map until right before I run (out of laziness)...

18 miles is a long way...we ran 9 miles in one direction then turned around and ran back...

so for my Nashville friends, here is a "word picture" of how far that is...

I started at David Lipscomb University and ran to the Bongo Java in EAST Nashville and back.

Yeah that boggled my mind...I ran through Belmont, up Music Row to the Musica (they might as well just re-name it the naked statue), down Demonbeun over the bridge to 2nd...up 2nd past all the bars through downtown to Union/Woodland...past the Titans football stadium...went down Woodland to 11th , the road Bongo is on...ran down past Bongo to Shelby and turned around and ran back.

needless to say, it was a challenge!!

And for my Orlando friends...it is about the same distance from my old house to the Orlando Airport...

Only one more long run before the BIG race...Dec. 23 I have 20 to run...man I will have no guilt over-indulging this Christmas!! :)

Hope you are havng a great day!

Leigh

it is COLD out there!!

Well...this summer when I started training, and the Nashville humidity was strangling me, and I sweat like a pig while I was running, or just walking to my car...I made the "declaration" that I would be so disapointed if I complained when it was cold out. Because struggling through ten miles of hades in the August heat of Tennessee...well I thought that was the epitomy of pain.

Ao I am choosing not to complain about the 28 degree weather I have been dragging my butt out to run in. I will just mention that it is colder then...well I have no neat analogy to share...let's just say this morning, I drove over to the park in Franklin to meet Suzie at 5:45 am. I left my half glass of water in my Jeep, so I could get a swig when I was finished with the 6 miles. when I got back, the water was frozen solid. FROZEN. that is how cold it was this morning!!

So less then 40 days until the big race, and my trip out to Phoenix. I can't believe it. I am starting to go through the end of the year "lists", like where has the year gone and what have we done with it...and I can't believe that since June 1, so much of my mind share, strength and thoughts have gone towards my training and this race. I barely remember the time leading up to my training...it has over taken me.

Literally...I have been training 6 days a week, and every day I have had to think about when I would work out, how I would feel, what should I or shouldn't I be eating, why if I am doing all of this training am I not losing weight, will my other 2 dogs be mad at me because I can only run with one of them, why am I always so TIRED, and how can I handle spending this much time away from hanging out with Tim? all of these thoughts go through my mind daily...and in the mean time, in August, I changed roles at work!!

Most of the time I feel like my new team at work thinks I am a work robot or completely unsocial because I am holed up in my office like a zombie and am not very social. I have had days that I am happy to stay awake all day--getting up at 5 am and running or swimming before work wrecks me; and we work in a hole with no windows, and it is very dark; so most of the time I feel like I am in a cocoon. (I don;t know how to spell, is that right?)...trying to learn a new job, fight fatigue, and keep at it the next day.

WOW I think I just over-shared. But that's been going on in my mind. Today when I was running I was thinking that the real accomplishment is probably overcoming the training, not even running the race. Boy it will feel good to cross the finish line.

So lace up your running shoes and join me...I am sure this blog is an inspiration!! :)

No, honestly it is great...I signed up for the Country Music half marathon today...so it can't be that bad!!

Thanks for your support, comments and prayers...I appreciate you!!