Today is LOVEMORE MONDAY!
It was also the day of the celebrated Boston Marathon.
I ran a marathon — once.
It may always be a “one and done” experience for me, but I thankfully finished the Twin Cities Marathon standing upright (not a small feat given my training program was called “From Couch Potato to Marathon” — not kidding).
I learned so much about myself in the process.
Like…
1) How important it is to practice and to build muscle slowly over time (instead of under-training like I did!)
And,
2) How critical it is just to show up on race day — because you can’t finish if you don’t show up.
I also learned how important my friends were in supporting my efforts to carry my body 26+ miles over rivers and through the woods through Minneapolis and St. Paul — I never would have finished without them.
Thank goodness Laura and Lisa were tracking me throughout the marathon miles. I would not have finished on my feet if it wasn’t for their ADVIL dispensary over those last five miles.
Today, I was reminded just how much I take for granted and far we have come.
My friend Sandra sent me this video about Kathrine Switzer the first woman who ran the Boston Marathon – it’s an inspiring piece that reflects the pitfalls and roadblocks (literally!) that she ran into on the course AS A WOMAN RUNNER (gasp!).
I was mostly struck by how far we have come since the 1960′s as women — and athletes.
Back then women couldn’t even register for the Boston Marathon.
It wasn’t allowed.
Now, that is just as hard for me to imagine as it is for me to remember how I purchased plane tickets, communicated with my friends and bought books, B.T.I. — Before The Internet.
I thought Kathrine’s story was not just inspiring but also FEARLESS.
Interestingly though, the turning point in her life was not on that marathon route, it was as a young girl, from a conversation with her father.
He said:
“You don’t want to be on the sidelines, you want to get in the game. Life is to participate, not to spectate.”
Life is to participate. Not to spectate.
And, that’s why…
I. LOVE. IT.
Here’s to being fearless and just showing up for the races we want to run (whatever they may be).
And, congrats to all the runners in today’s race.
You have great legs.
(You can watch a video about her father’s advice – just click here.)
