When I was running way way waaaaaaayyyyy farther than any normal human being ought to....
And I was blessed with way way waaaaayyyy more luck and good health than any human rightly deserves.....
I signed up for the Another Mother Runner "Prove It" Challenge. This amazing community of runners came together to support each other as we trained for a 10K or a 1/2 marathon. Each Mama (or non-Mama, the group is not exclusive!) got access to support and camaraderie through suggested training plans, Strava (a GPS/tracking/social media app/website where we could commiserate), emails, coupons, Google hang outs.... Just, like, EVERYTHING! I connected with and received great encouragement on my crazy long, cold runs (remember, I was training for the 40 while most were training for 13.1 or 6.2). More importantly, these women were exceptionally empathic and supportive when I tore up my knee and saw all of the hard work crumble.
The idea was to run your goal race (either a 'real' race or a virtual one you do yourself) on or around Mother's Day. I never signed up for it but I figured I would jump into the Big Lake Half Marathon, which is always the day before Mother's Day. Then you could celebrate with a "Proved It" t-shirt and medal that participants received in the mail. Obviously, I was up to my eyeballs just trying to bend my knee 90 degrees and put full weight on my leg at the time I should have been in the heart of training for this. So, I never "proved" anything. I have the t-shirt and medal hung near all of my get well cards and various doo-dads from El Disastero 2014. Below is a little "ChatterPix" video I made when the shirt came. I was trying to sound upbeat but I was, actually, fairly down about the whole thing.
(If you have an Apple device and you don't use ChatterPix, I am telling you... it is SO fun. And it's FREE! You gotta get it)
And tomorrow? I prove it!
It will not be easy. I have to get up at 4AM to get it done. (Scott is running a meeting at camp at 7AM sharp and, oddly, he doesn't think he will be able to do that with a squirmy 2 year old in tow. Huh!) I have to run it local. (Translation: I have to run it from home. Translation of translation: I have to run it on a LOT of hills).
It will not be fast. Suddenly 10 minute pace is Goldilocks. Okay by me.... just takes longer to churn this sucker out!
It will not be the last. The mileage just keeps getting higher from here in preparation for Ghost Train.
But you better believe that as soon as I am out of the shower tomorrow I am putting on that shirt and wearing it with as much pride as any race shirt I've ever had. Maybe more....
Finally, and almost as exciting to me as the thought of cranking out a 1/2 marathon by 7AM tomorrow, I am waiting anxiously for Fed Ex to deliver my 110% Compression Juggler Knickers. They should be here tomorrow (hurrah!) for my recovery. They are by far the most expensive piece of running gear I have ever invested in, except for maybe one pair of Brooks that I went nutty for. I am hoping that they are as amazing as everyone says they are. (Ice packs fit right in the pockets! Compression speeds muscle recovery! Plus, I mean, they are *H-O-T* lookin'!) My huge frustration for the moment is that tracking from Fed Ex shows that they have been SITTING in Connecticut (from North Carolina) since midnight on TUESDAY! Yes, I got free shipping, but c'mon! This seems like they are deliberately not delivering them just so I don't get the benefit I didn't pay for.
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| That's a stunt double butt. Wish it were mine! |
And now, with less than 7 hours before I need to be heading out the door.... I gotta post this blog. Hope you can forgive all of the errors. There are certain to be many of them!
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