Life, Death and the Marathon

So, this morning I woke up refreshed, giddy and excited. Not aroused or sexually excited, but excited about the marathon. (hee-hee)

I'm starting to chomp at the bit, so to speak. I want to run and finish. I'm excited to run the marathon now. I can't wait to lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement! I want to run. I want to run 26.2 miles and finish strong with a smile!

Earlier this week I was scared and felt anxious about it, but now things have changed. Now, I've realized just how blessed I am to be able to run such an event. Covering 26.2 miles is a very difficult task that has taken 6 months of preparation and training. I feel extremely blessed to be in good health, injury free, and strong enough to complete 26.2 miles. I have such an immense sense of gratitude to those who have trained with me or ran with me on my long runs. Through tough times, I have been pushed and made it through because of the people running beside me. I will be forever grateful to those fellow runners who have been there with me through it all. I am also incredibly proud of myself for making it through the training. Waking up on Saturday mornings at 5 AM to run 14, 16, 18, and 20 miles is hard. It's hard on your body, on your mind, on your family, and on your social life--it's just plain hard. And, I've made it. I've made it through it all. I'm proud to have made it this far. And, now the final test will be on Sunday. I know I'll finish. I know I'll do the best I can. For that, I'm grateful.


However, there will be an empty spot as I run on Sunday. Long-Legged-Lady will not be running with us. Her aunt died this week, and she will be returning to the States this weekend to attend the funeral. I feel incredibly sad for LLL (Long-Legged-Lady). She has been there through it all. She has been there through the 6 months of training. She has earned the right to run Tokyo Marathon and finish. I'm sorry that she will not be joining us, but mostly I'm sorry for her loss.

On a happier note, a great friend of mine and fellow running buddy just told us this week that she is expecting her first child. I am so happy for her and her husband. They are a great couple and will make awesome parents. She has been given the green light to run the marathon on Sunday. Since she is just in the first weeks of her pregnancy, her doctor has cleared her to run on Sunday. I know some of you probably think she shouldn't run or you think she's crazy for running a marathon while she's pregnant. To you, I say FUCK OFF! Worry about yourself and no one else! She's doing what's right for her and her unborn baby. If you want to leave me an ugly comment about this, go right ahead...bring it on!

So, in just a few days I'll be completing my challenge. I'll be facing my ultimate task. As difficult as it might seem, I know I can conquer it. I know I'm capable. I've already done this once before, and I know I can do it again and again and again and again. That's right, I'm already looking for my next marathon. I know, I'm crazy! Welcome to my world!

If you want to see a first hand account of the route I will be running at the Tokyo Marathon, you can watch a video of the race route by clicking on the link below. This is what I'll be seeing as I run on Sunday.
http://www.tokyo42195.org/movie.html