I ran my first marathon...

On September 17th, 20011 I ran the Top of Utah Marathon. I didn't have my camera so I'll have to get pictures later, but here are my thoughts....

There was a time when I emphatically said: "I will never run a marathon, that's just too far." Having now completed one and feeling really good about it I emphatically state: "Your mind and body will do anything you train them to do and with ease." A few months before the race, I researched some training schedules and put them together to fit my personal schedule and what seemed right for me. I stuck to this almost exactly. The longest training run I ran was 18 miles and it was hard. The next week I 14 and it was just as hard. I started to realize on an even deeper level how much control I allow my mind to have on my physical limitations.

As the race got closer, I started to wonder if I'd done enough to prepare. As the doubt crept in I forced myself to acknowledge that I had followed my training program so that had to be good enough. I started the race with my dad and my running buddy Shanalee and was prepared for a good time.

What I wasn't prepared for was the rain. As my dad put it "it was raining Buicks!" Even though it was cold and wet and if it had been any regular run I would have called it quits in the name of sanity...I finished it and in 2 minuets better than my goal time of 5 hours. The conclusion: the rain and the thunder was exactly what I needed and it couldn't have been more perfect.

As a recreational therapist or maybe just as a human being, I can't help but relate my marathon experience to life. There are things that seem larger than life to me right now like writing a book, earning a million dollars, reaching millions with a message, and the list could go on and on. There are people who I see as larger than life who are doing these things. The question is "what is keeping ME from doing these things." I've got a song inside of me that I want to sing. Just like with the marathon, if I train my mind and body (and this happens one baby step at a time) I can do whatever I want to do. Here are some of my thought: start a heath blog, write a book, write a cookbook focusing on real family meals that are healthy, contribute to the mission of Laura Jacobs "a healer in every home" by educating moms on how to take care of their families naturally, earn enough money to give in a significant way.
If you've actually found this post and are still reading it, then this is probably a message for you too. What are some of your dreams?