13.1 Miles Later

Running Through Downtown Fredericksburg

I have a dream list from high school in a journal at home.  I remember writing in it that I wanted to run the Boston Marathon one day.  26.2 miles doesn’t seem very long when you haven’t ever run at all.  After running 13.1 miles, the thought of doing it all over again is terrifying.

I was able to run 13.1 miles on Sunday, May 18th, because of the following:

God, Water, Shannon Hauser, Craig and Tracey Clarke, John Dement, Dana Jacobs, Ruth Will, Tom Mcdonald, John-Rine Zabanal, Steven Fisher, Bridget Dougherty, Gold’s Gym, The Fredericksburg Canal Path, Jelly Belly Sport Beans, Nike Running Pants, Hanes Tshirts, New Balance Sneakers, all the Marines cheering us on along the way, and everyone and everything else that encouraged me; especially everyone saying how proud they were of me.

Shan and I running the last 3 miles/Steve and I after the race

 

I always considered myself a ‘3 Mile Runner’ (I’ve run a lot of 5Ks … etc) … until Craig Clarke convinced me to sign up for the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon.  Training was hard but it went well in the three months leading up to the race … that is, until two weeks before the race, when I decided I was no longer motivated to run.  Craig became too sick to do long runs with, and I got busy with work.  So, after only about 7 or 8 long runs (6+ miles) under my belt, I ran the half.  My time was under what I had initially guessed (3 hours), finishing in 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Do I feel like I accomplished something big?  Yes.  Am I glad I did it?  Yes.  Was it hard?  Yes.  Was it worth it?  Yes.  Would I do it again?  Yes.

Things in life that are hard, are often the most worth it.  The people we surround ourselves with can either carry us through those hard things, or they can drag us down the side roads that will bring us to a dead end.  It’s been an amazing several months, as I’ve surrounded myself more and more with the people I know are going to walk (or run) with me down (or up) the hard routes of life, not the easy ones.

Sign Shannon Made for Race Day