Day Sixty Seven -"Marathon Week"

“Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.”
Arthur Helps

This weekend was completed in a blink of an eye. It was Friday night and we were eating pizza, drinking beers and watching “Angels and Demons” and then the next moment the alarm was sounding to start Monday.

The weekend was filled with many things that needed to be done. Skimming the ceiling in the mudroom, picking the van up from the mechanics, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, going to get a Christmas Tree, replacing the shocks and struts on the van, making gingerbread men with my youngest daughter and spending a magical night at Lake Lanier. I know there are a few other items that we did as well in addition to the ones listed above, but they escape me.

Saturday night we visited Lake Lanier to witness the “Magical Nights of Lights”. The light show is always a spectacular event that we enjoy every couple of years. We visited Santa’s Workshop and Grace and I rode on the Himalaya ride. The ride is a circular rollercoaster that takes you at break necking speeds around and around and around. Grace got a kick riding this ride and Ellie and Sarah watched from afar. The girls hit the “Fun House” and we ended with a nice quiet ride on the Carousel. The girls were hungry for some “Carnie” food so Ellie bought a bag of cotton candy while Grace went for the Carmel Apple. We all had a good time on Saturday night.

On Sunday Grace was an acolyte at church and Sarah was meeting Wren later in the morning to run their track workout. Sarah is still battling the groin issues but her perseverance and determination will not vacillate from the goal she has set out for herself. Sarah completed her track workout with ease on the times but still felt the nagging pain in her groin. I am proud of my wife in her dedication to what she had laid out for herself 16 weeks ago and has not waffled from this goal. The marathon is going to bring a certain different level of challenges for her with the injury but I am going to be there for her at mile 13 to 26.2 if she needs me.

As stated, Monday morning came fast. Working in the suspension on the van proved to me that no matter how much you workout and lift weights contorting your body in unnatural ways to remove shocks and struts leave you in pain. The back aches, the knees throb and the hands are bruised and cut up. Even with the pain and cuts I encountered there is always a sense of pleasure in accomplishing a project on your own.

This morning was track. The air was frigid and the sky was swirled with black and gray clouds. I was to meet Ann Marie, Jay & Bob out at the track for their last track workout in this training session. Our workouts were different this go around with Ann Marie and The Wonder Twins running 6 X 400M’s while I scurried around the track on 3 X 1600M’s. I left for the track alone in order for me to start the longer set and I was joined by the 3 marathoners after the completion of my first 1600M.

We all hit the track at different times due to the sets, but from what I could see from these 3 gliding around the oval was that they are ready for Saturday. Each runner flowed effortlessly around the track as I watched in amazement. The feeling of accomplishment came over me as I saw their stride and fluid movements knowing that I had done my part in helping them get to this critical juncture. I am not taking credit for where they are now because each of the runners that are training for the upcoming marathons on Saturday and Sunday has the ability to succeed. I was there for moral support and to help them in their journey if they needed me.

My sister Tracey, ran her 10 miles on Sunday with her friend Kelly. They ran miles 18-21 on the MetroPCS Marathon course. In reviewing the profile of this course these miles looked to be the most challenging and I thought it would be adventitious for Tracey to mental plot out her course of action on the “meat miles” of the course. Tracey reported that 18-21 was not as bad as expected and she hit her pace marks and felt good. This is my sister’s first marathon and I am wishing her all the best on this milestone in her running life.

The gains that the runners will accomplish next weekend will come with a cost to their bodies and spirit, the rewards will overshadow once the Finish Line is behind them.