"Your opponent, in the end, is never really the player on the other side of the net, or the swimmer in the next lane, or the team on the other side of the field, or even the bar you must high-jump. Your opponent is yourself, your negative internal voices, your level of determination." -Grace Lichtenstein

So it is almost race day. I am very excited and nervous! This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I started running in Dec. of 2003. Cassie came to Carleton to work out with me at the Rec. Center, I had been lifting and walking on the treadmill. She insisted that I should start running. So I cracked under the pressure and started to run! By spring I started to run outside. I remember well the first time I was able to run a mile without stopping. It was a big deal to me because I had never really ran before. Soon I was running 2 to 3 miles 5 days a week. Then it was time for my very first race. The girls and I all ran the 5K turkey run in Northfield. I will never forget crossing the finish line. I had run 3.2 miles! After that there was no stopping me. I ran almost everyday and was lifting 3 times a week. I was running races whenever I could. I loved that I had found something that the girls and I could do together . It was something that was ours. Even if Christa just came to support! She was still there. It brought me great joy. Then in 2006 I decided that I was going to start running longer races. I really started to dream that someday I was going to run a marathon. I ran my first 5 mile race in June and started a training program to get ready for my first 10K (6.2 miles)
Then the worst happened. I pushed my self so hard that I had a stress fracture in my leg. I could hardly walk by the time I went to the Dr. He said I could do nothing for 1 months. This was 2 weeks before the 10K race I was going to run. I left the Doctors office and sat in my car and cried. I had worked so hard and now it was over. Well I went out and got an elliptical and started using that after my one month was up. Even that hurt. So I did not run for almost 4 months. Then it was very slow going. My leg hurt the whole summer of 2007. Finally in the Fall my leg started to feel good when I ran. Then Cassie and Amy asked me if I wanted to run the Grandma's half marathon. I really wanted to do it but was afraid that I would get injured again. Then after thinking about it I decided that it was worth it. So here I am. I have been training since Feb. I would like to have run more but I did it smart this time and took the training slow. So I may not have the best time in the world but I will finish. I am going to run 13 miles. I am going to achieve my dream. So wish me luck. I will write all about it when I get back.
Sharon