Lead Legs and the Little Engine that Could

Last night, I ran 7.5 miles and had lead legs the entire way. The lead legs were the latest addition to an overall loss of "oomph" that Amanda and other bloggers like Brenda have talked about. I'm tired. I feel like I'm getting slower, not faster. My runs are getting harder, not easier. My digestive system is not happy with me running. My knees are whining. And so on.

Yet...I came home yesterday from my lead legged run to find a small purple envelope in my mailbox from my friend Jackie. I had no idea why she would be sending me a card. When I opened it up, there was a picture of a railroad car going up a hill, and it said "You can make
it."

Instantly, my mood brightened. Images of The Little Engine That Could filled my mind, and Jackie's upbeat encouragement and vote of confidence reminded me that yes, I CAN do this. She's run a marathon, and she knows about hitting a wall, and losing motivation. Her card
could not have come at a better time.

So Jackie, thank you. And thank you to everyone for the little things that keep me (and Amanda, and our teammates) going through the good runs and the bad. Fugly hats and iTunes gift cards. Chicken soup dinners. Commiserating. Post-run pancake brunches and Chick-Fil-A field trips. Golf fundraisers. Commenting on our blog. Taking Marathon Monday off from work. Cheering squads at races. Asking about training and actually caring about the response. Planning your spectating location. Donating money.

I've been training for four and a half months. The marathon is one month from today. Bring it on!