it's almost here...

"Crossing a marathon finish line for the first time is a life-changing moment. In doing it, you prove something to yourself that can never be taken away. You walk away with hard, experiential evidence that you are strong, resilient and gutsy. It's one thing to suppose you have what it takes to run a marathon; it's quite another to know it because you've done it."

"On the morning of your first marathon, the voice of doubt multiplies, becoming a full chorus. By mile twenty this chorus is screaming so loudly, it's all you can hear. Your sore and weary muscles beg you to stop. You must stop. But you don't stop. This time, you ignore the voice of doubt, you tune out the naysayers who tell you you're not good enough, and you listen only to the passion in your heart. This burning desire tells you to keep moving forward, to continue putting one foot boldly in front of the other, and somewhere you find the will to do so."

"You are a marathoner, and you will wear this distinction not on your lapel, but in your heart, for the rest of your life." - Dean Karnazes

*found on this cute girl's blog...http://www.painprideperseverance.com/

I like these quotes. Actually, I love them. My marathon is now 3 days away. I cannot really believe it. I have been waiting for this day for nearly a year and 1/2. Missed my last opportunity due to injury, and nearly missed this one. I was devasated to hear a few months ago that I had a stress fracture. I even ran the 10 miler in this picture in St. George on the fracture. I think I may have trained on it for a few months, thinking it was just a strained muscle. Looking back, I wish I would have stopped running back then, so I could have healed faster and been a little more prepared now, but I didn't. Anyhow, I wasn't told I couldn't run the marathon, so I kept training for it. Cross-training. I didn't love it, but I knew I had to do it if I had any hopes of accomplishing this goal, so I did it. When Tara was out doing 20 miles, I was at the gym, training for 200 minutes (10 minutes for every mile). There were some LONG days. I mixed it up on the machines though, had friends come by to keep me company, and pushed myself really hard.

After consulting with my sport's medicine doctor, I started slowly doing short (1 mile) runs on the treadmill about 5 weeks ago. They felt good, and after about a week of getting used to things again, I realized I could still go fast. Not fast fast, but fast enough. :) And...it didn't hurt! Running had hurt for 4 months. I wear a brace on my left calf. All the time. And it does wonders. I love it. I am so thankful my body has healed. Anyhow, after running the Red Rock Relay 5 weeks ago, I have done a 13 mile run and a 20 mile run with Tara. The 20 was hard. It really was. But I never felt like I needed to quit. I KNEW I could finish, and that was a good feeling. Since that run 2 weeks ago, I have felt very confident. I am anxious, but not "Amy" anxious. I know that is a direct result of prayer.

Tara and I drove the route this morning. It is long. Long, but beautiful. I want to be able to keep up with Tara the whole way. It may not happen. This is her 5th marathon, and she has trained longer and harder. It doesn't hurt to visualize it happening though. I have a secret goal of still being able to beat 4 hours. I know this is lofty too, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that is what I am hoping for. That is a 9:09 pace. Our 20 was an 8:45 pace. I can do it. I just need the stars to align, strong legs, and an overcast sky. :)