26.2 Words to Describe Madison Marathon: Surprises Everywhere & Constant Support

Written by: Amy
3 Jun 2011
family

Sunday, 26.2 miles in the Madison Marathon with Dana, Ricardo, Ryan, Katie & Brett; Monday – Thursday, rest; Friday – going out right now …. White House bound.

Reminded: discipline pays off, set achievable goals, surround with supporters

Learned: Pace yourself, drink water, never underestimate family & friends

Grateful: healthy, strong, finished in 4:40:39

Last Friday, when I came down the escalators at the Madison airport, my mom and dad were standing in their normal spot waiting for me.  As I hugged my mom, my sister stepped out from behind my dad.  She surprised me and planned to run the last 10 miles with me.  I was beside myself & it turned out to be the first of many surprises of the weekend.

Another surprise was that 2 days prior, my cousin, Ryan, signed up to run the full marathon.  Without training, he made it 22 miles!

While running down a hill shortly after mile 9, I lost Ryan.  I’m not sure how it happened.  One minute we were eating a banana and the next he was gone.  For the first time, I ran alone.  I turned up the music, and kept putting 1 foot in front of the other.

At mile 11, I enjoyed a much needed water station break and as I was on my way to meet my sister at mile 15 I felt an unexpected tap on my shoulder.  Another cousin, Brett, surprised me.  He was in town to see friends anyway, so thought he would run a few miles.  He ran further than he anticipated, but we had a great time even in the rain & enjoyed fried cheese curds afterwards.

My sister, Katie, met us (Ryan caught up to me & Brett around mile 14) at mile 15, my mom and dad took a few quick pictures and we were off.

Most of the run is a blur of concrete, tree lined roads, black top, shoes, water stations, “worst parade ever” signs, cow bells, Dixi cups of beer, construction cones, police officers, lakes, bike support, pink leg warmers, rain drops, empty cups, mile markers and, thankfully, friendly faces.

Katie talked me through tough hills, gave me short, simple running technique pointers and let me be alone with my music when I just needed to run.  Her stable strength gave me the encouragement I needed to smile my way to mile 26 when it surly would have been a grimace without her.

If it hadn’t been for Dana, who posed the idea of running the marathon and inspired me from afar to keep training even when I didn’t want to, I would not have had a reason to be surprised.

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17miles = my “Mission Possible” – What’s Yours?

Written by: Amy
23 Apr 2011
Life Purpose

Tuesday, 5m White House to Washington Monument run; Wednesday, 7.5m White House to Jefferson & around Tidal Basin run; Thursday, 3m White House run; Friday, 90minutes hot yoga with Bridget; Saturday, 8.5m trail run with Melanie, 7m city run alone; 1.5m Mt. Pleasant to Dupont run with Molly = 17 total miles; Sunday, (will be) rest

Pollen is in the air and green is everywhere.  White pants are showing up on street corners, and pink toenails are poking out from sandals.  Winter jackets are being pushed to the back of the closet, and bike seats are getting dusted off.  It’s “time to clear it out and clean it up,” in the words of Melanie.

However, Melanie isn’t spring-cleaning her wardrobe.  She’s taking a step back and looking at the intimate parts of her life.  The food that nourishes her body, the words she uses to describe her experiences, the music she listens to for entertainment, and the people who surround her.  She writes openly and honestly about her struggles and invites others to join in her mission to clear it out and clean it up.

I’m on a mission, too, and I thought it had something to do with running 1,000 miles.  It does, I suppose, but there’s so much more.  I am continually humbled by the lessons I learn from friends that join me on my runs (maybe that’s why I keep harassing @unmarketing!), and am inspired to keep reflecting (through writing) on the journey.

Sixteen weeks ago, I would have told you that it would be impossible for me to run 17 miles in one outing.  Today, I proved myself wrong & I did it with the support of many friends along the way.  The mission to run 17 miles is totally possible.  I’m taking a hard look at what I need to clear out and clean up in my life that feels impossible to give up.

To my many loving & patient friends: I am grateful you will not only run with me, but also support me in clearing out and cleaning up the garbage in my life to make room for all that is possible.  ~ love ~ Amy

Running 17 miles & training for a marathon is my “mission possible.”  What’s yours & how can I support you from near or afar?

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Do Your Friends Wander?

Written by: Amy
18 Apr 2011
family

Tuesday, 4miles around downtown DC; Wednesday, 8miles to the Capitol and on the Mall; Thursday, 5miles on White House run; Friday, sunny rest day; Saturday, rainy rest day; Sunday, 15miles with Fred and Bridget; Monday, rest

For the better part of a decade, people have wandered in and out of my life.  This happens for a number of reasons.  Sometimes it’s moving 3,000 miles or as few as 3.  Sometimes it’s a career shift, schedule change, new hobby interest or altered relationship status.  There was a bit of relationship wandering this weekend.  Some walked out, others wandered in and I lingered with some of my favorites.

I was thankful that Fred wandered back in time for my Sunday morning long run.  Fred and I were introduced by a mutual friend a little more than a year ago, but had lost touch.  Luckily, Fred called to ask about our mutual friend’s birthday, and we caught up enough so I remembered he was a runner.  He quickly agreed to run on Sunday and got me through 9 miles on the Mall.  It was a beautiful morning, and a great chance to reconnect.  It’s amazing how quickly the miles go by when you’re learning about the opportunities that lie ahead for a friend and the challenges they have overcome since you last spoke.

The same can be said for a friend you see often.  You get to be a part of the smaller details of those challenges and opportunities.  After running with Fred, I still had 7 miles to go, so I headed across town to meet Bridget.  She cheerfully greeted me outside her apartment, and we decided to tackle the slight incline up Connecticut Avenue.  I could not have asked for a better running partner and friend to help me physical and mentally get through those 5 miles.  Bridget’s constant support and warrior encouragement are uplifting and inspiring.

As part of my recovery mode “training,” I lingered with a few friends: Phil, Mitali, Lauree, Kim, Molly, Brian and Jerry.  I enjoyed every moment of egg coloring, random grocery shopping, birthday celebrating, roof deck sitting, errand running and room cleaning with you all this weekend.  When I saw this quote, it resonated with me:

When the world lets you down, you should always be able to depend on family.

I was reminded that family comes in many different forms & I’m thankful for my friends who treat me like family.

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Change: Trusting Myself

Written by: Amy
22 Jan 2011
Behavior Change, Life Purpose

Amy’s runs: Thursday, rest; Friday, 6 miles on Capitol Hill

Change. In the last 90 days: I moved from a 5-person group house in residential NW to a 1-bedroom downtown apartment; I joined the “smartphone” world; I entered a new decade (turned 30); I quit my government job to join my family’s business in a completely different sector; I bought my first Apple product (an iPad); I had heart-to-heart talks with 4 of my closest girl friends to help us grow in our relationships; I bought a dining room table; I met Sara Grace & started this blog.

With every change that has occurred, I feel an overwhelming sense of trust from those who have let me into their lives, shared insights, fears, dreams and expertise, so I could continue to understand the changing parts of my world.  And, for the first time in a long time, I started to trust myself.

Each mile brings me closer to my goal of 1,000, but what drives my motivation to get out there and run is the little nuggets of truth that I discover about myself with each passing step and key stroke.  It’s an honor and a privilege to share my journey with you.

p.s. If you’d like to literally share in my journey and log a few miles, shoot me a message and we’ll coordinate schedules.

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