Marathon Spirit

We went to the theater last month.

The movie theater, that is.

Seriously, though, you'd have thought we were taking in the opera or a broadway show with all the hoopla that surrounded this night!



We had our picture taken before we left...

We went to dinner...




And we took pictures by the marquee...

We even arrived early so we were guaranteed a good seat. Afterall, this was a one-time only viewing of "The Spirit of the Marathon," shown in select theaters across the country. We were thrilled to discover that our city was home to one of those theaters!

My husband and father (who have each run 3 marathons thus far) were eagerly scanning the crowd for "their people." Oh, you know that runners are a special breed. They're bonded. They share a language and experience all their own. If you've ever seen a long string of runners lined up along the woods prior to the start of a race, you know what I mean.

The fun thing was that my mom and I were as excited about this premier as the guys were. We've been spectators and cheerleaders at each of the marathons our guys have run, and we like to think that by now, we're professional fans. We always laugh at the spectator's guide that is provided at one of the marathons the guys run. There are guidelines and tips for spectators and a listing of suggested encouraging phrases to yell as the runners pass by. The corniest? Keep smiling!

While you might think that a marathon movie appeals only to die-hard marathoners, I found myself inspired...deeply moved...and challenged. I left thinking, "I want to do that,"---not because the documentary made it look easy, mind you; because I want to stretch myself and exert myself beyond what I think is possible. I want to endure when it hurts and press through the pain. I want to achieve the seemingly impossible.

I may or may not ever run a full 26.2 miles. But for now I'm setting small, more achievable (realistic) goals. I ran my first 2-mile race two years ago. This year I'm aiming for a 5K...and with my early morning running partners and friends, I believe we'll achieve this goal.

For those of you who are runners, love a runner, or just enjoy a feel-good, inspirational story, there will be an encore presentation of "The Spirit of the Marathon" this Thursday evening, February 21. Check the listings to see if it will be showing anywhere near you!

My Marathon Man

He did it! My husband has been training for a marathon since last fall, and this morning he ran 26 whole miles! The boys and I are his biggest fans, and we were able to snap this picture when we drove out to find him (mid-course) and cheer him on this morning.

The actual marathon is just 5 weeks away. I'm so proud of him! His perseverance and discipline have inspired and motivated our entire family. No, I'll not be running any marathons anytime soon (or ever), but my husband's example did challenge me to set running goals for myself. He even inspired our oldest son to run more regularly, and the two of them enjoy running together once a week. Our oldest and I are currently training to run in a 2-mile race on the 4th of July. While I'd like to think I'll beat him, I'm quite confident that he'll be the one waiting for me at the finish line.

On an unrelated note, my husband and I began dating 18 years ago tonight! It's been fun to reminisce throughout the day today, remembering how we'd both attended a friend's birthday party at a skating rink. He'd requested the song, "In My Dreams" and asked me to couple skate with him.

All my dreams came true...

Discipline, Accountability, & Endurance

Why, oh, why is discipline so tough? I'm not referring to disciplining our boys (although that's tough, too). I'm talking about personal discipline...specifically in regard to developing a healthy lifestyle. I've always been grateful to have my dad's high metabolism. In other words, I could eat whatever I wanted and not pay the consequences. However, since reaching my 30's a couple years ago, my body seems to be reacting differently to food and lack of exercise. And while not terribly overweight, I can feel the extra pounds that have collected around my middle. So I determined that it was time to do something about it. I decided to get back to running (which I haven't done since running track in high school). The first step was to buy new workout clothes. That felt great!

Alas, clothes do not a runner make. I casually mentioned to a friend that I was going to start running again, to which she immediately replied, "I need a new running partner!" I quickly tried to back-pedal, responding, "Sure, I'll give you a call when I'm in shape." She again challenged me to join her and I gave another lame excuse. When she realized that I would not be the one to make this happen, she just blurted out, "Meet me at 6am Monday morning!" Oh, God knew what I needed! You see, had it not been for this friend, I would have easily found a reason to stay in bed when the alarm went off at 5:30AM that Monday morning. And had it not been for that friend, I wouldn't have returned that next morning because I was in sooo much pain from the previous morning! In fact, because of that friend, I've been out there every morning despite the time, despite the pain, despite the hard work. God is using the accountability of this friend to build discipline in my heart.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone whe he falls and has not another to lift him up!" Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness by those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11

These first two weeks of running have been challenging, to say the least. I keep wondering when it will get fun. I've often been tempted to quit all together, yet there is something in me that won't let me quit. I so deeply want to endure despite the pain, despite the challenge, despite the early mornings. And I'm finding that as I keep on, God is helping me to meet the challenge. He's filling me with a bit more enthusiasm...and a conviction that I'm doing something good not only for me, but for my family, as well. Oh, and the fact that I can feel my body toning up is a wonderful benefit, too.

"Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:30-31

I'm thankful for the life lessons God is teaching me through running. I pray that He will give me the continued grace and courage to meet each new day's challenge.