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October 30, 2005

Inspiration

Tonight we attended my friend Mary's 50th birthday party. Mary has been a part of my running pretty much since I started. She wasn't the inspiration for me to start running - that would have to be Andy and his sister and brother-in-law - but she is *definitely* a big reason why I'm still running today. She's one of the most positive people I know. She used to tell us all to "embrace the hill" when things got tough and vertical on a run. She was such a calming effect when I didn't know what I was doing in those early years. When we joined our first official marathon training group in '99 she'd always remind me to relax when I'd get all flustered at the beginnings of our long runs when the group would take off and we'd get left behind. And she was right; we'd always catch all those who started out too fast. I ran with her in the early middle miles of my first Boston qualifier; I'll never forget her telling me to stop talking (and, ahem, singing.)

She didn't know how to swim two years ago. She was terrified of swimming. And now she has a half Ironman under her belt and a full Ironman in the works. I think she set a 10K pr a few weeks ago, and it's not like she wasn't working hard when I was running with her years ago. She's 50 and she'll still getting better.

Yay Mary!

She's also the administrator at the hospital where I'll be delivering in January. Even though she won't be physically by my side to get me through *that* particular marathon, telling me to just relax and not spaz out, I know the lessons she taught me in those early running years will be with me. And I have a feeling that even if she's not physically there at the hospital when everything's going on, she'll be there indirectly through the staff, whom she undoubtedly has an effect on through her work there. I'll be in good hands.

Run report: yesterday was another excellent running day and I got in another eight miles and felt great at the end. I hope we have a few weeks of this great running weather before it gets really cold; otherwise I might start using the weather as an excuse to stop running ...

Posted by jenandmats at October 30, 2005 8:19 PM

Comments

I hope Mary reads this so that she can see what an inspiration she's been for you! This is an awesome story, and I hope at least morsels of it are playing through your head on the big day in January. Then and the other tough "marathons" of your life!

Posted by: Meghan at October 31, 2005 12:09 PM

Wow, Mary sounds amazing. Hopefully we can all be as fit and inspirational as we move up in age group. You're very fortunate to have such a positive influence in your running career. It's great to hear that your runs are going well. Embrace the cold...;-)

Posted by: Leilani at October 31, 2005 1:39 PM