I did get up at 4:15am, I did shower, I did put on my race gear, I did not get out the door. When I woke up this morning I had a terrible migraine (not uncommon lately between the weather and food triggers that I'm trying to pin down) and my hip was still in pain. I'm no stranger to pain, but when it hurts before I've even put my running shoes on and I know I haven't been able to eat enough this week to fuel that 26.2 mile journey, I viewed it differently. Something in me knew that if I started the run today it wasn't going to end the way I wanted it to. I'm stubborn when it comes to most things in life and running is no exception; if I start, I WILL finish. While I feel that is a great characteristic of mine and the key to many of my successes in life, I also know that it comes with risk. If I refuse to stop and have all of these health concerns that I do not control, I could be in big trouble and sidelined from running (and many other things) for more than just a single day. That's when I made my decision, it just wasn't my day, and that was okay. I'm already registered for another marathon in October and there are plenty of others I can decide to add into my year along the way.
It killed me having to make the decision to take off my race bib and get back in bed; one of the big reasons I am so active is to inspire others to do the same and to honor the people that aren't as fortunate as me and can't just "go for a run" when they have a bad day or because the weather is amazing and you just have to. That was what made it hardest of all; feeling like I am letting people down. But, lead by example, right? I'm the first one to tell other people to listen to their bodies and don't overdo it; if I disregard my own advice then I'm not doing any of us any good. So, today I'm taking it easy and doing what I need to do so I can get back out there and encourage all of you to keep doing the same, or start. And, on the bright side, Harper (my cuddle-happy puppy) was overjoyed that I decided to get back in bed and she snuggled right up with me and fell asleep with her head on my shoulder.
Since I feel that I'm not being very inspirational today, I'll share something with you that will absolutely inspire and may give you a new perspective on life. Earlier this week I came across this article by Richard Sandomir in The New York Times about Stuart Scott from ESPN and his ongoing battle with cancer. If you have the time, here is the link to the article; it's an amazing and inspirational read, and personally it's exactly what I needed to see this week. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/sports/espn-anchors-private-battle-with-cancer-becomes-a-public-one.html?smid=tw-share&_r=3
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