On Sunday August 21, I ran an actual race. It was for the Edmonton Marathon, although I only ran a 10 k.
It was scary for me. even though I felt I was comfortable being able to do it, I was still a little scared. Fear always seems to try and become my partner whenever I try to do something good for myself. That fear generally has its way, I usually find some rationale to stop doing what I want. But not that day…
I am not fast but I posted my fastest recorded 10 k in my brief running career by over 7 minutes. I felt like “I can do this, I’m actually doing this, I will do this and nothing can stop me. I am going to do the full race for the 2017 Edmonton Marathon. I will become the Marathon Man!”.
Later that day, my wife came home and wanted to talk. She told me she wanted to leave me. I was…I am devastated. My whole world just…gone.
It is 360 days until the 2017 marathon. The road for me in all ways just got a lot longer. It got tougher and with more to overcome. Fear, my old companion, is licking his chops at the thought of how he is going to chew me up.
360 days until next year. One foot in front of the other, inch by inch, mile by mile, I will cross that finish line next year. Only moving forward. Everything is different, yet nothing has changed at all for me. The road ahead is still there waiting for me.
360 days…