People might be surprised....St. Louis Marathon

People might be surprised to find out that this therapist/minister's wife is just as crazy as them. :) I have my own bouts of insanity and out-of-controlness. In fact sometimes these times can go for days until I'm finally able to identify them, work through them and give them over to God (if you do not know what that means maybe we can talk about it sometime together - just ask). Often my pride gets in the way and I think that I am "with it" and should be "alltogether" but as I grow older and gain more experience I realize that this is part of the process of who I am and who God is developing & refining me to be. Remember...it's not about me and there are things in this life I cannot control and people I cannot control.

Here's what the start will look like...
Sunday, I, Lordwilling will run the St. Louis Marathon - all 26.2 miles of it. It is a complete experience that begins with physical (running all of it except water stops), emotional (excitement, dread, angst, elation, anxiety, agony, ecstasy), mentally (thoughts are flowing and really begin to work even during the first mile and especially in overdrive by the time 13 miles goes by....), and spiritually (it is a continual conversation with God, encouraging myself, opening myself up to this experience and really being present).  There are always parts of me that just want to think about nothing and everything all at once while I run and hope that the miles just go by until I realize "wow, it's mile 19 and I only have 7 more miles to go - I've done this before" - or even better "it's mile 24!" but that doesn't happen. You have to work through each mile as it's own individual entity and move through it then on to the next one.

Since I'm not an elite runner, I don't get the privilege of simply running fast and speeding by...I'm not a penguin anymore (running slower than 11:00 minutes per mile) and am simply officially AVERAGE (8:30-10:30/11 minute miles). I hope to be consistent with 10:00 minute miles in the beginning and slowly, steadily speed up to end on 9-9:30's.  I ended my last two miles in both Cincinnati & Columbus marathons at 8:30!! That was all mental and putting one leg in front of the other.

I'm not sure about hills or this course really. It's kind of blinding but is sure to be scenic! I still can't decide on what shirt to wear and was hoping to pick up a new one with pockets that looks sweet on me (yes I'm vain when I run but give up some other things like thighs, my thighs will show and that is ok and just is - I'm not a stick and have shape)

I just hope that this experience is awesome...all the others have been. I know I have trained for it and have been told by Mark and several other friends (awesome friends by the way who have watched me train these past several months through winter) that I am in the best shape of my life and am going to kill it. I sure hope so......I know I am....and it's weird. I don't know if I will ever be in this good of shape even if I don't eat very healthy and consistently.  I want to ROCK this marathon!  LOL, it's only Thursday! Until then, I'm cleaning, mowing, prepping for client sessions, reading, playing with little man and spending quality time with big man and with our Creator.