I just want you all to know how excited I am about this. I don't often get a chance to sit down and think about what will take place in my life in the next few months, but when I do, I am overwhelmed.
I am so stinkin' excited!!!
This will change my life forever.
I turned a new corner in my training this week. I set a goal for myself. It was quite a lofty goal, but that is what I need. I need something that I can reach for. I will run my Marathon in 3 hours and 30 minutes. That means running 26.2 miles at a pace of 8:00 minutes/mile. That is fast. Really fast, but I know I am capable of it. But it isn't going to come without a price. I will have to be dedicated to higher training. More effort will have to go into my running. More discipline. I can do it.
Along with the miles I need to get in, I have decided to do some pace work. On race day I will need to be going at a clip of 8 min/mile. This is my race pace. I have this sweet feature on my watch that helps me regulate my pace. I set it for a certain pace and it will beep if I go below that pace. I need to complete 3 of my runs per week at that 8 minute pace or faster.
The first run I did in my pace was such an encouragement. I saw what I was really capable of if I pushed myself. It brought me to tears. If I push myself in just this one area of my life, what else can I do? It opened my eyes, and I was overcome with emotion. I am so thankful God has given me running. He revels so much to me through it.
My runs have gotten harder. The bar has been raised. But things in life that take effort, blood, sweat and tears, that is what matters. Nothing in life ever comes without a price.
When I cross that finish line in Duluth after 26.2 miles, the feeling of accomplishment will probably bring me to my knees. All the miles, all the hard work, it will all be worth that moment. I can't wait. Until then, as my little cousin Nelson would say, "You got to do what you got to do."
