Ready Or Not

That's it. I'm done.

Sure, I still have the actual marathon ahead of me. Two weeks from today, in fact. But the distance training is done.

Mother Nature finally gave us a break yesterday as Shawnna and I tackled our last long run before the marathon. The weather was crisp and sunny - the kind of weather that makes us spend a few extra minutes debating between shorts or tights or whether to bring gloves and hats along or how many layers to wear.

Perfect running weather.

I wasn't quite sure how long Saturday's run would end up being. I hadn't pushed my calf much and was a little nervous about trying a long run. My goal was 18 miles.

In a series of texts on my way to meet Shawnna, we decided to run the entire second half of the course, followed by a five-mile downtown loop that included a couple of miles on the first half of the course.

We spent some of the run looking back at the training process - the good runs, the not-so-good ones, the valued support of our friends and loved ones and the physical and mental challenges we've overcome.

At times, we looked ahead to race day. We talked about all the people we might see on the sidelines, where we might need them to stand and what we might need them to bring. We talked about what it would be like in those final miles, what it would sound like as we approached the finish line. We talked about where we might break down and cry - happy tears.

We ended up reaching 19 miles yesterday. And I felt great. I didn't have any of the stomach issues or mental hurdles I had in the 20-miler. I wished aloud that I would feel this good on race day.

Our run ended with the usual high-five and a few stretches. Despite the fact that I just put 19 miles on my legs, I was able to manage a pretty packed day. In a bit of irony, I had already made plans to meet Jamie for lunch.

Jamie, who sat in front of me at my first TnT Info Night, reminded me of our very first team run. Two miles. And we weren't even able to run the whole thing.

Marathon training is a journey, no doubt. Someone close to me often reminds me that "it's not about the desination, it's about the journey."

That may be true - and I honestly believe it is - but I still better cross that Finish Line in two weeks.


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