Marathon running inspiration

I spend an awful lot of time thinking thoughts of worthlessness and how many struggles I endure..."woe is me, woe is me" thoughts. What an f'ing waste of time. If I spent 1/2 the time that I spending thinking those thoughts then I could basically rule the world. Or at least run for Vice President...hah, just kidding.

It's true that I do spend a lot of time dreaming about things, "what if I did x, what if I did z, that'd be awesome." But I never put those into action. It turns out I might have been looking for some inspiration to kick me into gear...fortunately, I finally found it.

I went this weekend down to Portland to watch my good friend W run her first marathon, which may have been one of the most incredible things I've seen ever. My friend has gone through a huge transition this year, going from non-runner to marathon heroine, she's become my very own self-help book. Not that she needs help, just that she's helpful....anyway. She ran the marathon in an incredible 5:03, staying consistent the entire time. As she ran around a corner in mile 21 and we were there to cheer her on, it occurred me that I really want to have that kind of experience. Not just friends cheering me on, but having that kind of emotional roller coaster, setting out for a very visible goal and making it happen.

I'm fortunate that I'm already in a running group every Tuesday and we're training for a 10k at the end of November, that's when I figure I'll start training for the marathon. I think it will be an incredible experience, obviously an exhausting one, but I think it might be just the thing to get me through the winter.

Thanks, W, for being such an inspiration and congratulations! Hopefully it's only a matter of time until you can say congratulations to me!