THE DAY BEFORE

IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE.....

3 years ago, April 25, 2104, it was the day before I ran my first full marathon.  The St. Jude Country Music Marathon (known today as the ST. JUDE ROCK 'N' ROLL NASHVILLE).

I had NO idea what I was about to do.  I didn't even know what the elevation on the course was going to be like.  Boy, did I find out quickly that I didn't put in enough "hill training!"

Here's what I did know:

• I had run my first half marathon a year earlier, did another one in the fall of 2013 and then one more as a "training run" before the full
• I had never run more than 20 miles before I set out to run 26.2
• I set a goal; challenged myself to train over the winter to do this
• We raised over $1600 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• I.GOT.HOOKED!

I got hooked on running marathons.  I got hooked on running for St. Jude!

Here's how it all began:  Our friends, Rod and Cathy Barr, had been in Omaha a few times in the summer of 2013 and we started talking about running.  In the fall of 2013, Rod ran a charity 5k with me and then came back to Omaha to run the Omaha Half with me.  

I believe it was the night before the 5k, we started talking about doing a destination half marathon the next year.  Rod said we should go to Nashville and run the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon.  I am always up for a good challenge.  I asked him, "what is the entrance fee?"  He said that he was going to run for St. Jude as a St. Jude Hero and the entrance fee was waived, if you raised a certain amount of money.  I said, "I'm in!"

Well, in-between that 5k and the Omaha Half Marathon, I got to thinking about Nashville, and when Rod and Cathy came up before the half I said, "If we are going all the way to Nashville, we might as well run the FULL!"

So, here we are, in Nashville, April 25, 2014, THE DAY BEFORE.  What a great experience it was.  As a "Hero" we got to go to an awesome pre-race pasta party.  We got to hear some really good music.  We heard story after story of how blessed the St. Jude patient families felt about not only the care at the Hospital, but for US for doing what we were doing.  At the time, I REALLY didn't understand the magnitude of it all.  I was moved, emotionally at the stories and was charged up to do my part, how little or big it was, THE NEXT DAY....

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself, "What is this all about?"  

Have you realized that "what this is all about" goes beyond you?

What is it that you can do?  What cause can you get behind?  Whose life can you impact and help to make a difference in?  

• A cause you are close to
• The local shelter for women and children
• Abandoned pets
• The church you attend

There are OPPORTUNITIES in abundance, you just have to get out of your own way and see them.

The 18 weeks that led up to me running this first marathon was life changing.  Not only in my realization that I CAN run a long way....but also in the fact that there is something that I can do that will have a lasting impact on others.  I found out in just 18 weeks THAT I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

I didn't know it yet....but this was leading me to my BEST YEAR YET!

More to come......

FINAL NOTE:

I had made a choice that this year, 2017, I wasn't going to be running any far away destination marathons.  The 4 I ran last year coupled with some health challenges, made me decide to do things differently this year.  As a result, I'm not running "officially" as a St. Jude Hero in the 2 marathons I am running this year.  I will be sporting some type of St. Jude gear and will talk about it wherever I go.....BUT...the Cheerleader and I are still supporting other Heroes efforts for the cause of Childhood Cancer research and finding cures.  I want to encourage you, to get involved:  

• Maybe through financial donations
• Maybe through volunteering at a race

Whatever you can do, whether you think or feel that is small or great....IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  Click St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to go to their site and look at different way YOU can make a difference.