Reaching the Finish Line!

“No matter how long it takes, if you keep moving,

one step at a time,

you will reach the finish line.” Author Unknown

What is it about these four beautiful women that make me want to write about them?  Is it that three of them are related to me?  Is it because I’m inspired about their run?  Is it that I’m so impressed with their fitness???  Or rather, is it that I am intrigued with the stories hidden behind those numbers they wore on that warm spring day at the Music Center Marathon in Nashville?  What do you suppose their motivation was that led them to rendezvous in Tennessee for this special girls’ weekend? 

None of them were born as runners.   Each of them took their first step into the world of running on a different day.  Two of them had run marathons before.  One was running her first marathon, another, her first half marathon.  They traveled from Colorado, North Carolina and Knoxville to be there.  And although they came from different places, leaving different loved ones and responsibilities behind them; this day they shared one major thing in common, as they gathered alongside 30,000 thousand others to hear the starting gun….All with the same goal…. make it to the finish line.

This puzzling world of runners isn’t for all of us.  Some of us would rather cheer from our living room couches. I can’t quite wrap my brain around the  pleasure found in putting one’s body through the pain, fighting the dehydration, with sweat dripping, and heat rising, keeping that pounding pace, praying for another spurt of adrenaline….just to reach a finish line??? Who are these people?

Actually two of my daughters are ‘these’ people.   One was running her first half marathon that day.  It was merely a year ago that she started running.  Within her first few weeks of training she hurt her ankle and had to take some time to let it heal (Most of us would have quit about then…I would have called it a sure sign from God). 

I told her it was really amazing to think  that only a year ago she started off on her journey, and now here she was running a half marathon. She agreed…She said she couldn’t have imagined then she would be running over 13 miles one day. I asked her how she did it. She said, she thought it was actually three things that allowed her to accomplish it.  She said the first thing was that she began by setting a small goal.  A goal she thought she could reach.  She said when she first started running she could not even make it ¼ mile without stopping, so that was her first goal; next was ½  mile, then a mile. She said she just kept raising the bar; little by little…always choosing a small goal that she believed she could reach. That reminds me of this quote from a Greek poet named Hesiod, “If you add a little to a little, and then do it again, soon that little shall be much.”

She said the second thing that allowed her to accomplish her goal was that she dedicated specific times to running. She organized a running schedule and set up her baby sitters for specific days.  She said it didn’t matter if it was raining, below 30 degrees and the wind blowing, or above 90 degrees and the sun beating down; even if she didn’t feel good….she just did it.

And third, she said she had support.  She had a running partner that was by her side.  She had a husband who helped with the kids, along with family members that encouraged, cheered, and celebrated with her along the way.

I asked her if there was a time during the 13.1 miles when she didn’t think she could make it; when it just seemed too hard.  She said, “Yes, at mile 12.”  I asked, “What did you do?”  She said, “I just kept going; putting one foot in front of the other until I reached the finish line.”

And reach the finish line they all did.  Congratulations, ladies.  Thanks for inspiring us!

Is there a finish line that you would like to get to?  

I think my daughter's points are perfect reminders for us when trying to meet not only our fitness goals, but other life goals as well.  So don’t forget: 1. Take small steps and raise the bar gradually 2. Prioritize and Persist in meeting your goals and 3. Find a support network to encourage you along your journey..

Breaking it down to those 3 simple steps makes running a marathon sound easy, doesn’t it?   I mean, really…..how hard could it be?