Lessons learned in the race of life...

It started out during the fall session of Girls On The Run.  I was the new head coach at Mill Middle School in Williamsville, and I couldn't find a committed assistant.  As fate would have it, an awesome woman - a marathon runner named Jenna - called the council.  She was in between jobs and sitting at home with nothing to do.  She wanted to help GOTR out in some way.  I was the lone coach whose assistant had just quit.

Jenna and I clicked pretty quickly.  She became more than an assistant coach, but a good friend.  I became turned on to the idea of marathon training and asked for her help and advice.  I had only run one 5k race that year and wasn't training at all.  I'd put on a lot of weight and just needed a new goal.  Why not a marathon?  I went to my orthopedic surgeon and told him my plans.  He was supportive - even though my knee was likely damaged and arthritic.  During the past 6 months I had a lot of ups and downs, bowed out of family gatherings, I completely let the house go and barely made any decent meals.  I grabbed fast food  many evenings and crashed on the couch after evening workouts.

Though I didn't even make it to the starting line of the Buffalo Marathon, the past 6 months have been quite a journey.  I pushed my body harder than ever.  My legs carried me longer distances than they'd ever traveled and I was changing as a person in the process.  My belly fat melted away without my even realizing it.  I am under 110 lbs again - a healthy 108.  My energy levels and sleep patterns have improved.  I used the meditation time during my long runs to sort out different problems in my life.  I felt good about myself for the first time in a long time.  I certainly tested my husband's patience - his support meant the world to me.

I am sorting out my priorities in life.  I'm identifying my strengths and weaknesses.  I know where I need to make some major improvements.  Life is going to be good... it is good... there's much more to it than running... there's friends, family, and of course my musical abilities that have gone to waste. Though I do want to run and race again, I need to focus on the more important things...