My Story Part 3

Okay...part 3...If someone had told me at the age of 37 that I would run 26.2 miles at one time without stopping  at the age of 40I would have told them they were crazy but...I completed my first marathon in January 2011 at Disney World in 3:52:17. By the time of the marathon I knew I could run the distance. Part of the reason I chose the running plan I did was that it had me run 26 miles on one of the long runs. I needed to know beforehand if I could do this. Bobby, my coach, kept telling me that I didn't need to run the entire 26 miles to know I could do it but I was determined I would do indeed run 26 miles before that Disney race. Most marathon plans have 18-20 as the longest mile run. Well, being the extremist I am, I wanted to be really sure I could run that long so I ended up running 26.5 miles that day. Yes, I am a little obsessive and tend to go to extremes at times. But, when I crossed that line at Disney I was in the top 5% of the finishers! One of my first comments to my family was that I wasn't sure I wanted to do any race like that again. I will dedicate another blog to my race experiences and the many interesting things I saw so stay tuned. It is a hoot!! It only took a couple of days for me to retract the statement about not doing that race distance again. I reminded my sister that I never said I wouldn't do it but that I wasn't sure I wanted to. Now I begin to think that the half and full marathon may be the distances I most enjoy. I know it sounds crazy, but I actually look forward to my training each day and get upset if I can't run, just ask my family. I enjoy the long runs and by long I mean anywhere from 10-20 milers. I take a rest day each week because it is necessary for me. I don't know if my body would respond very well to 7 days straight of running. I am so thankful to my family for their support of my running. My husband Will, is my biggest supporter. I wouldn't be where I am without his help!! He is there to cheer me on and thinks I am the greatest runner ever!! :) I love you rach!! My coach, Bobby Mack, has been awesome. He is wise beyond his young 26 years. He has taken the time to learn who I am and what makes me tick--he probably thinks I'm just as crazy as my family and friends do--but he is always there to help  me try to reach my goals. I can never thank him enough for what he has done. He has helped me improve my running form and I have learned so much from him. My race times have improved as well.
So, as I close out "My Story" section I will share what invades my mind daily. My dream is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I was 72 seconds short of doing this at Disney and now the qualifying times have been reduced further. This will require a 3:45 finish time, but I am up for the challenge. My next opportunity to qualify will be at the Myrtle Beach Marathon in February of 2012. So, if you see me post on facebook 3:45 on 2/18 you will know what I'm talking about.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my ramblings...I want others to know that while they may never have the desire to complete a marathon or any race over the 5K distance, they can make small changes and see big results in just a few short years. Running can be a life sport. I see all ages at the races I attend. You do not have to be the fastest or even place in your age group to feel the satisfaction of setting a personal goal and meeting that goal. This is what I want others to understand.

Until next time!!

3:45 on 2/18!!

And, Sir Speedy is racing tonight Thursday 6/23. You can watch Bobby Mack run at 10:55pm EST. In the wind BMack!!

Link to live webcast: http://www.usatf.org/events/2011/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/video.asp

Love you Mickey!!!!