National Marathon

"You move from doing things to show other people you could, to where you do things to look into yourself, into your soul, and see who you are and what you are all about."
---- Scott Weber

I was reminded of the above quote the other day as I conversed with a new, dear friend of mine. As we talked of life and its struggles -- mainly mine that night -- he hedged his bets and suggested my recent passion for running has been fueled by a desire to conquer myself and any accompanying weaknesses, which are inherent in all of us.

I reflected on his comment and within seconds knew he was right. I started to run again a little over a year ago as I was studying for the Bar Exam. Running, back then, allowed me to feel the same way I felt as a college athlete --- in control and focused. Though I'm not a huge Madonna fan, my favorite song on my iPod at the time was "Isaac." The part of the song that really inspired me was, "Remember remember and never forget. All of your life has all been a test. You will find the gate that's open. Even though your spirit's broken." The idea of pushing through both the run and the studying motivated me.

After a medically-imposed brief hiatus from running I hit the pavement yesterday for the first time in three days. As most of you know my half-marathon is this weekend, so yesterday's run was abbreviated. But as I glided through three miles of what I would term pure-joy I felt, again, whole. The mental and physical began to sync. It was exhilarating. 

Thus, when I returned home I logged online to see a list of all upcoming marathons. After a couple of hours of Internet research, calls to a few friends (who will likely run the half or at least come along to cheer me on), and a brief chat with my folks, I settled on the National Marathon in D.C. I love the city, and though the race is only 7 weeks away, the challenge makes it more appealing. I did, however, contact Jenni Peters, an established marathoner and coach from Baton Rouge to gain her input on whether 7 weeks was adequate time to prepare. Her advice was to run the half this weekend and then re-access whether my body will be able to handle running 15 miles the following weekend. Bottom line: I see an ice bath in my future after Sunday's race. 

Though each day I learn a smidgen more of who I am and what I am "all about," I am excited about the opportunity to look a little bit deeper into my soul. The National Marathon, I believe, will provide that and more. I can't wait!