the game changer

In 2018, I reluctantly set a goal to run a half-marathon. Initially, the plan was to do a 5k, but a friend encouraged me to push it further and do a marathon. After some thought and never having run in my life, I settled on a half-marathon. It was a big enough goal, and it scared me a little; those are the best goals, aren’t they?

I would joke that I couldn’t run to the corner of my street. I knew the only way to ensure I wouldn’t quit was to tell people. I knew I’d be embarrassed to have said it and not follow through, so I told everyone. I started training seven months before the race, and in the first few weeks, I was thinking, what have I done? Why in the world am I doing this? Little did I know this would give me much-needed time to reflect and push me beyond what I thought I was capable of. It made me confident in a way I hadn’t been in a very long time.

I ran/ walked five days a week for seven months. At the height of it, I did 10 painful miles on the treadmill in my basement. I never ran any farther than that, figuring if I could get that far, I could do 13.5 miles. I ran when it was cold, hot, and everything in between. I used this book as my guide to training for the race.

At 51, I was in the best shape of my life. I had never been so disciplined as I had been these months. It was such a cool experience. I remember my kids being so proud of me, and I checked it off my list of things to do at least once!

Much love,

Susan