I would never…
In a part of my life I will now start to refer to as Before Tavia, or B.T., I dated a few different ladies. One such lady would go running in the mornings quite regularly. I hadn’t dated someone that cared this much about exercise, I found it quite amazing. While some of my memories are a little hazy she was talking about either a half or a full marathon and I remember telling her…
I would never run a marathon.
I thought running that far for kicks and giggles was crazy. At this point B.T. I think I had started in my exercise science program and was going to the gym pretty regularly. Some of that time was spent on a treadmill but not because I enjoyed running. It was just part of the routine. I didn’t enjoy it.
Over the next few years my ideas of running changed and sometime in 2007, I started to enjoy running.
I started to think maybe I was just crazy enough that I could attempt to run a marathon.
Remember that thing that I said I would never do?
With the help of The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer, I started my marathon journey on December 31, 2007.
It was hard.
I was going to school full time, working graveyards full time, and dating Tavia. I was busy but somehow with all of that going on, I was able to still run.
And run.
And run.
Some runs were done in what seemed like feet and feet of cold snow. I’m pretty sure some of my runs were done half asleep after I got off of work but with the of The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer and determination, I was able to push through.
I couldn’t have done it without the great support along the way. Family, friends, and anyone that didn’t walk away from me after I told them that I was training for a marathon. You know what I’m talking about. Crossfitters do it. Vegans do it. Paleo people do it. Realtors do it. They just can’t talk about anything else.
Crossing the finish line of my first marathon is one of the greatest moments of my life. There are only a few other life events I would put in front of it.
I learned a lot about myself but most importantly I learned that I can do hard things.
Sometimes it is easy to forget your life lessons.
I’m grateful that I didn’t follow through when I said I would never run a marathon.
Or the three the followed it.
Or the fifth marathon I have delayed for the past two years.
It will be hard. But I have done it before.
I can do hard things.