Week 3 - Day 1 - 3 Miles

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed." - Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

My Dad is in town visiting. This is a momentous occasion for me because I pretty much think my Dad walks on water. Yesterday we took Gwynny to derby practice so he could see what she is up to and I ran on the trail nearby. 3 miles was almost a joke to me. Just when I got warmed up and in my zone, it was over. I am realizing the power of the longer run. It's like meditating for an hour as opposed to 5 mins. It gives me time to sink into it and feel the power of movement, the grace of strength and the relaxation of release. I cannot express enough how grateful I am for this discovery. Since starting this training and posting quite a lot about it I have had friends say "I am not a good runner". When I hear that I chuckle because it was almost yesterday that I was saying the same thing. I want everyone to know that when you put your will to the test, it really will see you through. It really will stop hurting, and you will NOT die if you push yourself another mile. Running is complete surrender to what is possible.

Monday night I had a deep conversation with my 14 year old son about his future and the power of dreaming big. We have been watching "So You Think You Can Dance" and every time I watch another dream come true I think back to my time at 21 and what potential I had, what plans I had. Then I remember how I let it all go, how I watched my dreams die because of my lack of focus and drive. I explained to Reeve how important it is to never give up on yourself. Suddenly I made the connection to what I am experiencing with running and I teared up. I realized that at the tender age of 39 I am finally learning what it means to be focused and driven. I guess better late then never.