9 Miles Was a Team Effort.

Last night I went to a temple board meeting.  My attendance hasn't been stellar this year for a variety of reasons, but I was in town and really wanted to go to thank people like my rabbi who have been such wonderful sources of guidance to me over the past months.  I belong to a reform temple, I want to be clear about that.  One of the things that I enjoy most, about both my rabbi and my temple, is that they share a very humanistic approach to Judaism.  At every board meeting, Rabbi Cohn gives what is called a D'var Torah.  In essence, he gives a summary of the Torah portion and then, somehow, relates it to real life.  Last night what he said was really special and resonated with me.  He spoke about the need for every person to push himself beyond what is expected of them and not to simply be satisfied with the status quo.  He talked about the need to challenge ourselves.  Somehow Rabbi Cohn can always get me thinking and motivated.

Tonight I finished 9 miles.  While I may have been on the treadmill alone, it was a team effort.  Liberdy had her baby today, a healthy baby boy. Even though she was in the hospital, she was very much there with me.  Her enthusiasm, advice, and motivation kept me going.  My assistant, Nancy, was there with me as well.  She is incredibly busy working for three of us --- each of us that provides her with "unique" and "interesting" daily challenges.  Despite that, all day she reminded me to keep drinking and to stay hydrated.  (Keep in mind that she did so while typing not one, but two briefs and a few letters just for me.)  My friends and family were there with me also, the people who have encouraged me and believed in me --- maybe even doubted me.  (That doubt has provided motivation.)  My doctors were there, as I kept in mind their respective advice and was sure to follow it.  And, last but not least, Rabbi Cohn was there with me also because it was his words last night that kept me going today.

Maybe I am seeing the situation incorrectly (I have been known to do so from time to time), but I am starting to get the sense that some people doubt that I am actually going to follow through with either the half marathon in 4.5 weeks or the Chicago Marathon in October.  I understand that people may be having doubts based on my injuries and their doubts are seemingly coming from a good place.  But in a sense, I kind of think that is what is expected of me; to quit when things get difficult.   But, I have extra motivation now to make sure I go beyond the expected (unless, of course, a doctor tells me that I will do physical harm to myself by doing so).  It isn't about time.  It isn't about winning.  It is about finishing.  It is, again, about going beyond what is easy or expected.

I finished 9 miles tonight.  I didn't run all of it.  When I started to get tired I would run for 10 minutes and then walk a few.  But I didn't stop running, I always started running again.  My average pace, with walking, was 12:30 per mile.  Not terrible.  I didn't give up.  I wasn't on prednisone.  I put my head down and refused to give up.  I feel good about it.  I feel good about myself.

For some reason, my shins were hurting the first mile or 2.  That was a new pain to me, but it subsided.  The sharp pain in my achilles, specifically the right achilles, didn't start until mile 6.5 --- which was a huge improvement for me, something that I was pleased about.  I took naproxen sodium, rather than ibuprofen before I ran.  Maybe that did the trick.  Truthfully, I don't know what I did to make me get through it, but I did.

In 4.5 weeks I am going to finish the Toronto Women's Half Marathon.  I will unquestionably walk some of it, but I will run across the finish line with a smile on my face.  I won't worry about the time but will be happy about finishing --- happy about going beyond what is expected of me.  And what will I be most happy about when I cross that finish line?  Unquestionably, it will be the fact that I can immediately take off that Michigan t-shirt and proudly put on a t-shirt that shows where my heart is (at least in terms of college athletics).

Here is what 9 miles looked like tonight.  Bottom line --- 9 miles, check!



Shirts, both of them, were drenched.  Hat was drenched.  Felt oddly excited.