Last Sunday morning while brushing my teeth and listening to Leona Lewis’ amazing song “Happy,” I started to cry.
Don’t worry, they were hot and happy tears. I was brushing and singing along with Leona, then suddenly laughing and crying, elated and excited because I was minutes away from running my final challenging workout before the LA Marathon.
I couldn’t wait to run, but not just run, run hard, and by feel only, because the crux of the workout called for six miles at marathon pace, (the overall # of miles of the workout was a little nutty, so I’ll leave that a mystery), but the focus was those six, and I ran them just right.
Naturally, I know that anything can happen this Sunday. LA is not my first marathon, (#54), and every one before it has had doses of ugly and glorious moments, but I am positive that I am the most prepared and excited than I have ever been in the nineteen years I have been racing. Plus, this one feels more momentous than most due to exhausting every option, (besides surgery), to get back to top running form after my Plantar Plate tear diagnosis in my toe last July. I have embraced and appreciate my new routine of wearing KT Tape, Orthotics, and Hoka Clifton's for every workout, they are a magical combination that have allowed me to feel confident and grateful to be ready to race 26.2 miles. However, these last four weeks of training have been the toughest so far. I have had more dark days than light, (which I tried, but couldn’t hide), yet what kept me going was my love for running, but not just running itself, the reasons why I love it.
Similar to most long-distance runners, I often run alone, but never feel lonely, because I carry everyone I care about with me. Honestly, I wouldn’t try so hard, or have kept trying so hard to be better for so long without the fuel I feel from every single one of them. My family, friends, coaches, teammates, athletes, and all of you who have cheered me on as I chase my goals. I also love running because it connects me to the part of myself that I respect most; the part of me that grinds through pain, craves it, smiles through it, and thrives in a steady state of strength and resilience for hours.
I’m not sure how many hours I’ll be running on Sunday, but I guarantee I will feel like a cool, blissful warrior from 6:55a PST until I cross the finish line, tasting hot and happy tears somewhere between downtown and Ocean Ave., and enjoying every hard and easy step along the way.
Running through tears and raindrops down Boylston Ave. on a very windy and rainy day in Boston, 2018.
If you’d like to follow along, just CLICK HERE on Sunday, and plug in my name.
The song and video choice this week is an outstanding new tune from Alicia Keyes, Underdog.
