Before I take my first step

Let's just pretend that I'm not the world's worst blogger for a second and go back to that whole training for a marathon part. Yep, training is now trained! I am running my first marathon in less than 48 fours! I have been so crazy mad busy with non stop 12 hour days with school, work and committee meetings. Taper was actually really easy and so very much enjoyed. I had no problems with running lower mileage. At. All. I actually didn't run this past week. I think my shoes are shot and I started developing a pain oddly familiar to a shin splint. In order to save my leg and save the last bit of miles in my shoes, I opted to skip the few short runs on my plan. I'm better off with a pain free leg not nagging me the whole, long, arduous 26.2 miles right? Just say "yes".

I wish I could explain my emotions right now but I can't seem to put them into words. All the blogs and twitter messages about the marathon have me so pumped. I know there will be pain, there has to be pain, but I know I can do this. I know I can get through it. How do I know? Because in the past two months I have all ready fought for this marathon over and over again. Now, all I have to do is get there and put one foot in front of the other until I get to the finish.

All you non runners, why is this so powerful for me you ask? Because even just a year ago I never wanted to run a marathon. I was just where so many of you are now. Oh I could never do that, can you imagine? 13.1 miles is long enough, I can't imagine doing 13.1 more! Why run 26.2 when you can drive that distance in 30 min? I'm good, thanks.

Oh, but sometimes when you dare to do what you think you will never do, you learn so so so much more about yourself than you could ever imagine. I'll admit, you might not like some of the things that you learn along the way. But you learn how to make your strong points stronger and your weaknesses less weak.

I have watched myself grow over these past few months. I have made decisions and stood by them. The same way I signed up for this marathon, so full of doubt and yet, ready to see what I could do. I have realized that I am fiercely independent and would rather do things on my own schedule than rely on someone else's schedule. Hence the reason I signed up and even paid a small fee to join a training group and only went to one run when their schedule just didn't work for mine. Ha. Oops.

I'm a fighter, I don't give up, even when I hit the wall at mile 12 of an 18 miler after being on campus for 12 hours and a brutal exam. I felt a little insane at that point but I also am a rule follower and I had to get in that long run. I just had to.

So many times I kept thinking I can't do this, I don't know how I'll finish. But somewhere deep down I knew that even if I had to crawl across the finish line, I would be doing it. And I will. On Sunday. With 30,000 other crazy people just like me, these are my people. The dreamers. The people who set goals and make them happen. The doers. The movers. The shakers. The runners!!!

The next time we meet again, you know, I'll be a marathoner. No big deal. *brushes off shoulder*

Ok. Kinddddd of a big deal. To me!

Go dream, y'all!!!