1

Running, Solitude and Big Goals

Aaron and Beth 2007 Disney Marathon
Aaron and Beth 2007 Disney Marathon, Dad and Mom with Beth in 2008

Running is a topic that often comes up in conversations with my patients who are very fit.  “Are you a runner?” Hmm, I always think…. “How much and how often does one need to run to be able to call themselves a runner?”   Before, 2007 the answer was an emphatic, NO!  I love to exercise.  Walk, aerobics, machines galore, but actual running… no.  First of all, I am not the leanest machine on the block, plus I have terrible seasonal outdoor allergies, neither of which really propels me to greatness as a runner.

So, you can imagine my husband’s surprise when we were at Disney one year and I admired runners in the Disney marathon “That looks like fun. I would like to do that someday.” To which he replied, “but you don’t run.” I recently listened to a preacher Jeff Henderson talk about goals.  He described that most people fit into one of two categories, dreamers or realists.  Needless to say, I am a dreamer, and Dave my husband a realist.  In the same message, he said that [shareable cite=”Jeff Henderson” text=”‘If you believe something is possible, it is possible. Conversely, if you believe something is impossible, it is impossible.'”]’If you believe something is possible, it is possible. Conversely, if you believe something is impossible, it is impossible.'[/shareable] Well, I am a dreamer and I think anything is possible.  Plus, did I mention I am extremely driven and stubborn?

When we were kids, my Dad ran every day after work and ran a few races himself.  I think that really inspired both my brother and I at an early age.  My brother, Aaron, is a REAL RUNNER.  He runs a few times a week, every week, every year since he was in high school.  So, in 2006, he mentioned that he was planning to run the Disney Marathon the following year.  To which I replied, “Ooh, I want to do that with you!” and to which he replied, “but you don’t run.” I said I would and I did, from nothing to marathon completion in 6 months.  Admittedly, I walked a lot and my time was slow, but I loved every minute of it. Just as I had dreamed many years earlier, it was fun and I did it.  That was January 2007.  I ran the marathon again in 2008.

Then in 2009, I decided to train again and at about 15 miles I got really sluggish.  SURPRISE! Little Lily was slowing me down even though she was the size of a bean.  After Lily was born in 2010, I decided to train again to try to get back in shape. SURPRISE!  Baby Ella stopped me in my tracks.  So, then I really had a five year hiatus with ZERO running.  I am not very good at doing things a little bit… I am an all or nothing kind of gal.  Motherhood consumed all of my free time, with little time for myself to do crazy things like run 26.2 miles.

Well, now here I am, almost 10 years older, and shamedly, even less lean than I was in 2006, training for the Disney Marathon again.  In a similar moment of dreaming last fall, my friend Crystal Messenger and I dreamed of running the marathon in 2016.  After recovering from knee surgery this spring, I started training. And this fall, I rediscovered why I do actually like to run.  Solitude – time to think, pray, listen to music, listen to podcasts.  Solitude is a rare treasure in my busy life, and it makes running a pleasure.  Happily, I made it through training and completed the Disney Marathon again in January 2016.

So, how about you?  Are you a runner?  Why do you love to run?  What is the longest distance you have run?  Do you dream of running a marathon someday?  YOU CAN DO IT!  I used a book called, “The Non Runners Guide to Running a Marathon” each time.  It walks you through a simple but effective and proven plan to successfully completing a marathon.  I highly recommend it to all the dreamers out there!

Have another dream dancing around in your brain?  If you believe something is possible, it is possible!

************************************************************************************************

Save the Date! Upcoming COSMETIC DAY, February 25,  8am -4pm.  Follow us here and on Facebook for more details each week!