Saturday, September 25, 2010

20 Miles!!!

I did my twenty-miler. I cannot begin to describe the joy this brings. It is something I never thought I could do. My training for the marathon is essentially over. I will spend the next three weeks tapering before my marathon. I have a half marathon next weekend, which I am really looking forward to.

I have wanted to run a marathon since I was 29 years old. But there was always the fear that I couldn't do it. There was always the lack of commitment - because this is a massive commitment. But now, at the age of 58, I am really going to do it.

When I drank I always was "gonna" do a race, but somehow I never got around to registering and running one. I was ready to do one - fitness wise, I just never put all the pieces together to actually do one. When I was three years sober, I finally registered for a race, I trained for it, I showed up for it, and I ran it. When I finished, I felt like an olympic champion, because I FINALLY did something I said I was going to do.

And now it looks like I will be able to fulfill a lifetime dream. This has been one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but I feel like God has been with me every inch of the way. I think it is good for a me to really stretch myself and do something so outside of my comfort zone.

Tomorrow I will go to church and then meet a sponsee. That's about it. Well, and I get to watch a football game. Oh, that sounds like heaven to me.

8 comments:

Hope said...

I am thrilled for you! I thought of you today and wondered how it went.

wendy said...

congrats. have a good sleep and enjoy your sunday.

Lou said...

I got chills reading this. I also know the joy (and sense of accomplishment) that comes from running 20 straight miles. If you can do that, you can do 6.2 more!

Best regards, Lou

Carverlane said...

WOW! You are a very youthful 58-year-old, and I think you will agree it's thanks to AA. I was always "gonna" do a lot of stuff, too, and now I am DOING IT in sobriety! Although I am only up to5 miles a day of fast walking, I am doing it most days of the week and enjoying the stress relief, increased energy and emotional boost that comes with it. Thanks for being such an inspiration.

Em said...

yay! so happy for you :)

Syd said...

Good for you! I am really glad that this part of the dream has come true. Stay the course. And enjoy a day of well-deserved rest.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

WOO HOOO!!!!!!! Inspirational!!!!

Have an awesome (rest of the) weekend!

Kary May said...

What an inspiration. I am newly sober and have started working on the dreams that lay dormant in all those years of drinking. I don't know about running though, and I'm only 48.