Sense of Excitement

Yesterday the little nuclear family got discharged from the hospital. They came to my house and picked up their doggie. Things have returned to "normal" around here.

In the mail when I got home from work was the hat clip lamp I ordered online. I will need this for the race. I clipped it to my hat and tried it out. I think it will work fine. I have a big head lamp, but I won't want to carry that for 26.2 miles. This will be easy to throw in my back pocket once it is light outside.

I also talked with my coach about where in the heck I am going to get a bowl of oatmeal in a strange city at 5 a.m. I had called the hotel to see if they had a restaurant open at that hour, and they don't. I thought I would have to order room service. Earlier this year I spent $25. for a bowl of oats in Las Vegas. It was fun, but I would be wiser not to do this. Coach suggested bringing instant oatmeal, a cup, and a spoon and using the hot water from the coffee maker! Brilliant!

Believe it or not, it is details like this that make the difference between success and failure in a race - and in life. A bowl of oatmeal may seem like a small detail, but starting a race without food in the stomach would be a disaster - it would take a couple of hours to find out that it is a disaster, but it would be one just the same. I am sure for a marathon, there are things I don't even know about yet. But I have read books, and I have a coach, and I have trained with her and a group of experienced runners for the last six months. I ask questions and then I listen to what I am told.

I learned how to do these things in Alcoholics Anonymous. When I knew I needed help, I went to a group of people who were doing something I didn't know how to do - stay sober. I read AA literature to learn what this deal was about. I asked one person to be my "coach" or sponsor. I asked her counsel, and then I listened to what she said. I continued to hang out with like-minded people in AA and together we stay sober and accomplish something that we could not do alone.

I am clear though that we could do none of any of this without the intervention of a loving God.

I believe that I am sober by the Grace of God. I also believe I can disregard this gift and throw it away any day by not caring for it. I need to care for my sobriety every single day. Just as I am training for this marathon every single day - even on days when I am resting...

OK, enough of my analogy. I am sure I will return to it though.

I called the AA central office in Long Beach to try to find a meeting on Saturday evening and I think I will probably not be able to get to one without messing up my sleep. Too bad. I would have enjoyed that.