half-what?

Half MARATHON.  Yes.  I typed the words.  I am doing a half-marathon.  In 17 days.  No, I didn’t just decide today, I decided 3.5 months ago – and started training.  I was originally going to do a nice half in our AZ hometown, but plans fell through (that’s another post coming sometime soon), and I will be now running in the Washington, D.C. National Marathon on March 20th.

Not in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I would commit to something like this (if you’d asked me 10 years ago).  But after graduation from college, I took up running as a hobby; a way to relax, to unwind, be in my own mind and worship God in the silence and rhythmic pounding of my feet.  I no longer had coaches giving me workouts, teammates cheering me on, or specified event training for field hockey or track.  I had a roads, desert trails, a mountain and some sneakers.

So I took on running.  Easily at first – it took me a while to get up the nerve to actually “run a race”; because despite popular belief, I may be built like a runner, but I don’t race.  My goal is to finish and not puke.  (sorry, that’s not very poetic, but it is the truth.) 

I did the usual 2 milers, 5k, 8k, etc.  But I made a promise to myself that I wanted to challenge my body to go further.  So, 13 miles it will be. Kinda nuts to say it, but well, I know I can finish, just a matter of how fast.  I’ve been training and trust the system.  I am tapering off of running at the moment, as my knees started to take a beating and I’ve done the long stuff.

I say I wanted to challenge myself, but I also have other reasons too:  I want my children to know that Mommy takes care of her body so she can play with them for a long time to come, so they can see that taking care of your body is a good habit.  I want to run because I know my Dad would be proud of this accomplishment. 

I want to do this because I am raising support for the American Cancer Society and my Dad’s Scholarship fund at the college we attended.  I want to do this to raise awareness; to let people know that skin cancer isn’t just caused by the sun.  I want to do this so my husband is proud of me.  I want to do this because I want to prove to myself that I can be mentally strong enough to do something I know my body can do. 

And I want to do this because, heck, if I can “run” a 10 month marathon of being pregnant (two times!), then I can do this.

Think of me. 

            Pray for me on March 20th at 7AM EST. 

                   And if you desire to fight cancer and raise

                    up future Christian leaders,

                                         sponsor me.