The Run

Well it took me as long to run the race, as it did for me to finally write this post! I should just take a sabbatical every summer, as time goes so fast, and I never seem to have enough time to sit and write.

After getting out off of my bike, my legs were screaming. Riding on a bike with a chain breaking, and in 6 gear for 12.3 miles was excruciating for me. Once I dismounted my bike, I really felt so weak in the legs, I wanted to just stop. I had to walk my bike back into the transition area.I took off my helmet, switched to a hat,found my sunglasses, and downed some energy berries and water, and headed off. I knew that I could make up some time with my running. I had been working really hard on improving my run. It started out really slow, I walked a few feet to get my barrings,then I decided, I did not come this far to walk my race. I started running slowly at first, just trying to get my legs to cooperate, I kept telling myself, one foot in front of the other. Then it stated to get easier. With each footstep, I could hear touch the ground, I gained more strength and more courage. I kept my eyes focused on the person in front of me. Every time I wanted to walk, I would pick out a target and think just make it to there, once I would reach that goal, I would pick out a new target. It was slow, it was steady,but I was getting the job done.
When I came around the first turn and realized I had just finished the first mile, I knew, if I can do one mile, I can do two. When I finished the second mile, I again knew, if I can finish two miles I can finish three. I felt completely exhausted, my body wanted to come to a complete halt, I knew the only way to finish my race the way I wanted, was to use my mind. I had always heard that running, or anything we do, is 40% physical and 60% mental. I believe that now. My father used to say to me when we would run together and I would want to quit,"Bren what the mind can conceive the body will achieve". So I started chanting this on that last 1/4 mile. I felt that with his headband on, and his chant we were running this race together.Running 3.2 miles does not seem like much,but after swimming and biking,it seemed like a marathon.
I was really proud of my run, 31 minutes later, I was crossing that finish line. I knew I had done my best race, I had pushed through all the obstacles that came my way, through the pain in my legs, and through the exhaustion, I crossed that finish line a different woman than the one who started that race.