It’s almost go time.
In six days we will be on the trail doing the thing we said we were going to do. Am I ready? Probably not. Have I worked hard? Yes. I haven’t done all the miles required and I surely have walked more than I have run, but I have not missed a workout. I can tell you that I am stronger than I was back in December when we signed up for this race. I have run, walked, done HIIT workouts, hills and lots of weights. I feel good. Have I lost weight as a by-product of all of this work? Absolutely not, but that isn’t why we signed up for this race. We signed up as a challenge to ourselves and as a waypoint in our year. While it surely will be both of these things, it’s also been good to get back at it and at 54, I call all of it a win!
The one thing I have loved about the training this time around, and I do use the term “love” loosely because it’s also work, is doing the long training days with Andy. He has been forced to spend endless hours with me talking. Where is my laughing emoji? Seriously, it’s actually made the miles so much more enjoyable than training alone. We have looked forward to our long weekend training days together and I think it’s safe to say that we might continue doing 5-7 miles during the long summer months. I’d also like to take a minute to express my gratitude to March Madness that saw us through some of our most difficult weekends. Some Saturdays, the only thing that kept us going was knowing we could eat a big fat hamburger while we watched basketball on the sofa for hours on end. Now that I think about it, a large burger with fries might also be the thing that gets us through the race.
Ten years ago, when I first did this race, I was well prepared, but terrified. I had no idea what to expect from a 24 hour race. I had no idea if I could endure 50 miles which was my goal back then. I was worried about the weather, my endurance, blisters, stomach issues, anxiety, not being able to sleep the days prior and my mental stamina because most things come down to mind over matter. The weather was perfect, but all of the other things happened and I was able to overcome them all. I had no idea what I was capable of until I tried. To this day, that is still one of my greatest personal accomplishments. There truly is nothing like pushing yourself so far beyond what you think you might be able to do.
Today, I know how amazing our bodies are on our worst days, let alone our best days. Let’s hope it’s one of our best days.
So, here we are.
I am still feeling all the things I felt back then. I’m anxious, worried about the weather, questioning my endurance, wondering how my foot pain will be, feeling like a disappointment to G and an imposter when I have to walk most of it.
I am also feeling at peace because I know that even if I walk for as long as I can, I am still covering a lot of miles. What are you doing on Saturday?
We will see you on the other side of the weekend, but until we talk again, I will leave you with a couple of quotes that have kept me moving during this season of training.
“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” Paul Coelho
AND
Lowi & G 
Good race to all of you! You are ready!
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