Ready, Ready, Ready. Ready to RUN!

Disclaimer: The follow was written in an extreme rush. I just wanted to get my thoughts out tonight so I can remember this feeling after.

Tomorrow night I leave for New York to run in the New York City Marathon. Yes, THE New York City Marathon. Yes, the same marathon I have talked about and tried to get in to for four years. The same marathon I have trained for the past six months. The same marathon that has kept me in and put me to bed on Friday nights for over 20 weeks. The same marathon that allowed me to meet new friends and realize how wonderful the ones I already had are. The same marathon that taught me I am not one of those lucky runners who doesn’t get injuries. The same marathon I have dreamed of for so long.

While I should be in bed right now and not restarting my entry into the blog world (more later on why I left), I can’t sleep from anxiety, excitement about being in my favorite city and thinking of crossing that finish line, curiosity over what this experience will be like, and my mind going 60 miles an hour wondering if I have remembered everything. I’m hoping my running outfit will be okay, I’m hoping the throw away clothes I’m bringing will keep me warm enough on my four hour wait at the starting line (or will attract the running man of my dreams to run the race with and fall in love with me). More than anything I am hoping that my knee will be all right come race day. As most of you know, during my last long run I had to stop early from extreme knee pain and was diagnosed with runners knee (inflammation under the knee mainly from tight muscles). I have diligently been doing my rolling, icing, stretching, RESTING, etc. every morning and night. I have bruises all over my thighs from my massage therapy. I’ve even gotten a steroid shot. Now all I can do is wait, PRAY, and HOPE that this will happen this year.

These past few weeks have been so trying, so frustrating, and so amazing. Yes, amazing. I have never felt so much love and never understood how blessed I am with the community I have surrounding me as I have these past few weeks. The encouraging words, the prayers, the advice, the positive thoughts when I had none, ETC. have touched my heart more than I can ever express. For example… My coworkers who have constantly asked about my training and my knee. My teammates who have helped me get ready for my four days out and listened to me talk about this to no end. My sweet friend who works in the hallway in the morning and gives me the best hugs and prays for me at the exact time of my shot. My bosses who have prayed for me along this journey and put it on our school calendar. My roommate who made me a goodie bag of the perfect items before the race and has told me so many times it WILL happen. My friends who have listened to my panic. My friends who have told me to stop being negative Nancy. My running friends who have let me vent, prepared me better than I ever would have been before meeting them, gave me verses to run through the race with. My best friends and family who are coming to New York to stand five hours in the cold to cheer me on. My parents who have made this day more possible than anyone else. I could keep going, but those are just some of the things that have brought tears to my eyes nearly every day the past three weeks when I think of them, because I am so undeserving of such love, generosity, and kindness. The Lord has me in His perfect hands and it is because of all of those people, you people, that I can see that. I hope will all my heart this is my year – FINALLY – but if it isn’t I will rest assured that those same people will be my support as I grieve the loss of not running it this year and gear up for next year.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart if you are reading this and have in any way been a part of this journey. I wish I could tell every one of you, in the million words it would take me to do so, what you mean to me. Instead know I am grateful for you and I love you. Please keep praying, please keep positively thinking, and please keep hoping for me!