Inspiration

My inspiration comes from various sources. Sometimes these sources are surprising. In terms of a marathon, I could look to someone like Deena Castor. But I know that she is in a league that I would not even want to dream of joining. My life is my family, NOT running. My friend, Vickie, was at Stroller Strides today. She has run several marathons and she is an incredible runner. Her PR is 3:25 and she was disappointed because she had been working towards 3:10. Vickie is a closer, more tangible inspiration. She is just a mom, like me... but she has achieved something that I am trying for. Will I ever run 26.2 miles in less than 3 1/2 hours? Highly doubtful. But knowing her, I know that it is possible (I think).

Another inspiration is a girl I saw on the internet. I am inspired how positive this she is. She is not a particularly good runner. However, if you watch her video, she is SMILING throughout her entire marathon. She approaches obstacles with a positive outlook. Instead of dreading a hill, she declares, "I love hills." I would love to be that girl, smiling while I'm running. In fact, I think I'll try it tomorrow. Here is the video:



Another inspiration I have is actually being an inspiration-- if that makes any sense. My friend, Janet, just e-mailed me a registration confirmation for the Nike Women's Marathon in October. I am SO happy for her. This is a huge leap for her. She is not a runner and has only recently started running short distances. I hope that in a small way I have helped her set such a great goal. I would actually love to do it with her, but I have to take this one race at a time :-) The marathon she registered for is a lottery and you have to register this month. I don't have that kind of confidence yet to do two marathons in four months. I haven't even run 10 miles yet.

Finally, I want to be an inspiration to my kids. I LOVE the fact that my children already know that exercise is just a part of life. They know that it is something Mommy enjoys doing and it is fun for them, too. Stroller Strides has really made a huge impact on them in this regard. But now, Jackson will see me getting my shoes on and ask, "Mommy, are you going for a run?" It is just a normal part of life. He has told me on several occasions that when he is bigger, he wants to run with me. I can't wait for that. Amelia loves to do the Stroller Strides exercises with me. It is fun for her. I hope that she grows up never worrying about ever going on a diet or feeling the need to go to the gym just to burn off calories. Admitedly, she does have genetics on her side. However, if I have my way, she will exercise because it is part of life, not because she feels she has to.