Saturday May 19th will mark 2 months since when I run my 2nd half
marathon. Time really goes by so fast when you are training for a
milestone and when you are done it feels like you need to take a long vacation. Well
that is exactly what I did when I run my 2nd half marathon and
I spent a week in Siesta Key, FL with great friends. After celebrating
jumping that hurdle, shortly came my birthday celebrations, and a few
pounds later I have been feeling so much heavier and slower 😊
Although I may not have shared my weekly updates about my training
like I did the first time there was no difference when it came to the pain,
hard work, sweat, tears and a few pain killers when needed during the training. I
thought this journey would be easier since I had done it before and I had told
myself that I would probably be a lot leaner and fitter (yeah right). None
of that happened 😊 instead I felt slower and
fatter and just had all these negative vibes going on in my head. About
2 weeks before the race, we got an email from the race organizers that they
were introducing a 10k to the route. After I read that email my mind
was torn between doing the 10k or the half marathon. That temptation
stayed dangling in my mind until the day of the race however, I just could not
justify why I would take a week away from work and not run the half marathon
while on the other hand I didn’t have to prove anything to anybody.
Race Day:
 |
| I earned my medal |
The race started
at 6:30 am and it was about 68 degrees F (20 degrees C) with almost 100%
humidity which means it was too hot by the time we were starting the race. I
had done all my training during the winter and with cold temperatures. I was so hot, sweaty, and exhausted by the
time I got to mile 1. The start line had
runners who were either going to run the half, first leg of the relay as well
as the 10k. By mile 3, I knew I was
going to run the 10k and that was it and it was going to be ok with the
decision I made. From mile 3, there was
another runner who had about the same pace as I did and we had kept pacing each
other up until mile 6. At this point we were both huffing and puffing as well
as listening to our individually played music so you can imagine what we both
sounded like when we were singing. My
lovely friend Jackie came over to meet us and handed us water and showed me the
10k sign and asked me if I was going to continue with the half or just finish
with the 10k since I had told her that my journey was ending at the 10k
point. As human beings, we are always
quick to judge and make up stories about people just by seeing them. I had compared myself to this lady who I had
just met and who I will call Suzy (not her real name). I decided that if she continues with the half
marathon and I turn off at the 10k point she would have won and I would have
failed. That was my story and I was
sticking to it. So, I assumed that because
we were both plus size runners we both must stop running because it is hot and
we should both be exhausted because I was exhausted and felt I needed company to
justify not completing the race that I had signed up for which was still going
to be ok.
Well Suzy, went past the 10k turn off point while singing and I
turned and looked at Jackie and told her I was going to keep going. I didn’t have the right attitude and spent
mile 7 comparing myself to Suzy and kept on wondering why she didn’t just stop
running since I was now at a point I really hated why I continued the
race. Fast forward we started talking to
each other during the race and I found out she was such a nice positive person
who kept on encouraging me and reminded me that although we might not look like
the other faster runners who we saw on the course we are both moving faster
than anyone else on the couch. We both
finished the race and although the last mile felt a lot harder for me because there
was a change in the course from the previous year we did it.
My AHA moment after the race was that one should never compare
themselves to other people in whatever journey you are going through in life. You don’t know what they have gone through
and you do not have a right to judge somebody because of how they look, how fast,
or slow they move or whatever challenge or success they might be going through
at the time. A mile is a mile no matter how
fast or slow one is moving and one’s attitude plays a big role in whether you
are going to be successful or on how you will feel when you are done with any
challenge. I had to remember it was my
race, my pace, my journey, and I thank Suzy for reminding me about the
journey. I did not do as well as I
wanted to do but who cares I finished and that was the main goal. Nobody promised that this be easy or even get
easier with time, I just must remember that quitting is not an option. One of my heroes always reminds me that all
you must do is take a step at a time, be positive and it will be over before
you know it. On to more adventures.