The Family That Plays Together...

I know at this point my words may come across like a broken record but I have to reiterate how amazing my family is. When I took on fundraising and training for my first marathon in 2005 I did not realize the future it would bring for my family. As of Sept. 3rd 2007 there are 2 more official half-marathon runners in the family :-) Admiration and pride surged through my system as I watched my brother, stepfather and mother cross the Disneyland 1/2 marathon finish line together.





The sense of accomplishment and the confidence that come from training and completing an event like this cannot truly be described in words. The day was a bit surreal as I played my role on the opposite side of the sidelines cheering them on during different parts of the race. The weather was definitely not cooperative as the race temps ranged between 76 and 90 and the humidity was at 62% at the start of the race, eek! Despite the unwelcoming Anaheim weather my family crossed the finish line with a respectable chip time of 2:43. I was glowing with pride!

The greatest gift for me is watching my family go through the same transformation I did. For those of you who have not taken part in a marathon or 1/2 marathon let me give you a brief breakdown. The first month of training may as well be deemed "boot camp." It is rough getting into the habit of running 3 times a week when you have trained your butt to enjoy sofa time. On top of this, you are struggling with the fact that your mind does not realize your body has lost its shape. You get discouraged watching people who appear to be less fit than you, breeze by during a 5k race. When you finally start to feel better about your fitness level in month 2 you get a second boost because that is when your body starts to reflect it as well. The pounds start coming off and you find yourself enjoying that endorphin high that a nice long run provides. Somewhere during the final month of training before the event your motivation dips as your weight loss plateaus and the daunting 10 or 20 mile run drains you. And then the big week arrives and you start worrying about some crazy injury blocking you from the goal. I literally quit wearing high heels because I knew they might make me twist an ankle, ha, ha, ha! With 24 hours to go you begin to feel like a kid before Christmas. Although you really need a good night's rest before heading to the start line at 5am the anxiety tends to rob you from that much needed REM sleep. The lack of sleep is basically negated by the adrenaline that kicks in as you find your place in the corral of runners before the starting gun. The race begins and you grin ear to ear thinking about all of the effort that you have put in to get to this moment. Around mile 8 the jubilation drops off and you try to keep your pace steady. For those completing a 1/2 you typically start questioning whose great idea it was to run this far anyway right about mile 10 and for full marathoners it can come any time between 18 & 20. The last 20 minutes of your first 1/2 or full marathon tend to be the most draining but all of those minutes are forgotten the second you see that finish line. The reality that you have accomplished your goal hits you in the face and smile emerges from ear to ear. In the afterglow you plan on your next big goal. And so they have...mom, Kevin and Tom are all registered for P.F. Chang's half marathon January 2008. Are you up for the challenge?

In my experience the finish line evokes a rush of emotion bringing tears of joy. Every time I finish an event I don't just do it for me. I have my friends and family in mind the entire time. Every finish line I cross they are with me in spirit because without them I would not have made it there. At the end of the day I may not win any of the events I take part in but it is the love, support, and sense of accomplishment that drive me to continue. Thank you all!!!