Lessons Learned during Marathon Training

As I’m writing this the Marine Corps Marathon is just a little over two weeks away, I can’t believe another 20 ish week training session is about to end. Every marathon training session is different, with its’ own challenges, rewards and lessons to be learned.

This is my fourth summer training for a marathon- I can’t believe I’m getting ready to do this for the fourth time! Crazy for the girl who used to claim and loudly “I only run if someone is chasing me.” Not anymore!! And it hasn’t been that way for quite some time. My running feeds my soul in unique and special ways, and every time I lace up my running shoes and slip into my running clothes, it’s like coming home. Like this was the person I was meant to be all along, but was too scared of failure to try. I’m so glad I took my very first running step, so grateful for the life running has given me! Run a Marathon Change your Life?
you bet it has!

This season I lesson I’ve learned more than any other is joy! This was my very first season running using the run/walk method- I was little scared to try it out, not knowing what to expect, and this was a whole new group of people ( I really didn’t know anyone in the group except for Dana). But as I’ve gone through this season- from learning how that interval function on my watch works, to hot runs when we changed the interval (gasp!!), or when we miss calculated on our 18 mile run and ended up running 19 instead (oops! can’t do math when we run), and on and on, I’ve found new joy in running!
The biggest joy to me this season by far has been my early morning running partners! All 3 of them are training for their first marathons (Amy’s is Sunday, Stacy and Dana are running Marine Corps with me) and I’ve gotten to relive the excitement and anticipation of a first marathon all over again through their eyes. Those Personal Distance Records are so sweet, the first time we went past 6 miles on an early morning run was an experience I wouldn’t have missed sharing for the world. Or that first rainy cold morning when I ran with Amy, in long sleeves- with some giggles about how crazy or hard core we were.
It’s been a season of enJOYing running in a whole new way, and it’s been a delight to my heart, what my heart and my spirit needed this summer. My sister moved away in March and a dear friend in July, so my spirit was little sad- but you know what God knew that- My God is big enough to know what I needed, and in a way only He could have orchestrated filled my heart and my life right up with my early running girls.
The greatest joy is yet to come- seeing Amy cross that finish line on Sunday is going to make my heart burst- I already warned her I would be weepy! And getting to experience Marine Corps with Stacy and Dana is going to be so, wonderful, I’m sure I won’t need the plane to get home from DC I’ll be able to float here all by myself!
Hoping you find your own joy my friends!
Run on Friends,

Heather


“Sometimes we need endurance to experience the best kind of fun” Kristen Armstrong

Shared Joy

Okay so my friend Amy, has challenged herself to blog every day for 21 days, and since my blog is a little neglected I decided to do that too. So starting today I will blog every day for 21 days, not sure about what just yet but getting there.


Shared Joy, anyone who knows me well, knows how much I enjoy/love/thrive on my friends. I love time by myself too, but my soul feels best when I’m with my friends either one on one or in a group. Either one makes my heart happy. I especially love being able to share in my friends’ joy!
This past weekend I got to have so much shared joy I thought my heart was going to burst. First on Saturday morning I met with my MIT group for a 10 mile run! Our friend Amy had 16 to do however, so she had decided to run 6 prior to the group run and then run 10 with us. Well when we arrived at MIT Amy had run 5 instead of 6 and I quickly said I would add a mile to my run to finish out her 16 with her. We had a great run, it actually felt quite easy ( I definitely wasn’t signing that tune last night however!), and the last mile was simply awesome! I got to be there as a friend I’ve come to love and treasure got a new Personal Distance Record! The smile on her face was priceless and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything in the world. I took great joy in taking her picture, in sharing in her happiness of her achieving something awesome! I can hardly wait to share the same milestone with Dana and Stacy this week and next.

I’m getting to experience the joy, excitement and the challenges of a first marathon all over again through my friends. It’s an awesome experience! I encourage any of you out there who have run a distance (5K 10K half or full marathon) to find a friend who has not and share their training with them.

The second part of my day brought me to sharing the joy of my friend Christi’s marriage. Christi is another friend who MIT brought into my life. We trained for and ran our first marathons together (holy cow 3 years ago now) and then we shared a hotel room in Chicago last year. She was speed demon but waited for me at the finish line! Along with our other roomies.


She looked simply radiant and her joy was evident! I’m so glad I was able to attend and get to share in another joyous occasion with a dear and precious friend.
In addition to the wedding joy, I got to spend time with running friends. These are my friends who have been with me through many, many miles and many laughs and tears. I’m so blessed to have them to love and be loved by.
So sharing joy- it’s privilege I treasure.


Run on Friends,
Heather
"Who says you can't run away from your problems?" Joan Beniot Samuleson