Lessons Learned

Mikaela finished her cross country season last week, and it has taken me all week to find a good story. We will ultimately decide that it was a lesson learned for me.

Mikaela was very pumped for this race. It was like a gift to her because the week before had been a poor race for her, and she didn't finish very high. She thought she would not be racing at Regionals. Regionals decide who will race at State, and Mikaela has had her goal since early June to go to State this year for her final year of high school cross country. She had it written on her board and everything. So back to the gift... She was still fighting some congestion, but we were doing everything we could to break it up, and she was feeling better. She was even assigned a number with 2 "eights" in it. Her lucky number! Being in the JV race was good for her because she would know what the slowest runners got in Varsity, so she would know what time she had to beat to qualify for state. We put the time into her watch so she could pace herself. She did amazing for the first 2 miles. We ran to cheer her on at various check points, and her pace was perfect, not too fast, but enough to stay just in the lead. Then at the last check point before the finish at about .6 of a mile to go, she was starting to fade. We cheered, and tried to spur her on with her hopes of going to state. She was still in 2nd place, and could easily make it. By the last 100 yards she had slipped to 3rd, and we yelled to get her to pick up the speed, but her legs were lead by this point, and there was no telling them to go faster.

Being the competitor that I am, I was not sympathetic to leaded legs. I thought if she could just tell her legs to move it, they would. That is how it happens in all of the Disney movies right??? If you want it bad enough, then the body should comply. It wasn't a Disney finish as much as I wanted her to win for herself. In the end she let 2 more girls from her team whiz by her at the finish. She didn't beat herself up about it, she didn't cry, she was too tired. She gave it all that she had in her that day. Maybe she would have beat herself up, if I hadn't been giving her grief about "giving up". I was not the good supportive mom that I should have been. I was too busy being disappointed. How are mom's supposed to turn off how they are feeling, and say what they should, like "Good Job! What a tough race, I know you did your best!" I really wanted to say those things, but I just couldn't get it to come out.

A week ago when we thought she wouldn't be racing at regionals, I had said all kinds of supportive things like "Winning wasn't the most important thing you learned this season, learning to love running, and the friends you made, and the experiences you had, were more important." But I said those things when she finished really far back because of illness, this week was not the same.

So what did I learn? I should have remembered what my mom always told me "If you can't say something nice... don't say anything at all." But I didn't do that... and I just hope that I can earn my points back with her. Luckily she is a very forgiving girl, and I didn't teach her that either. A week later, I can say I wouldn't trade her for any State Champion runner.

Mission Accomplished!

Yea! My first marathon was a good experience on almost all accounts. After nearly 6 months of preparation for "the hill" and "the heat" I must have been prepared because I don't think they got the best of me this weekend. Okay... granted it was an unusually cold and rainy day in St. George. They seem to only have rain when I come to race there, or so I have heard. My last triathlon race there was cancelled due to slick roads. Oh well, as my preparation would have it I was well prepared in running in the rain. Both of my 2 longest runs were also in the rain, and I loved it. In fact I would say my 3 BFF's in this race were the rain, gravity, and Advil. All of them helped me to get way under my goal time of 4:30, (but secretly hoping for 4:15.) Actually I was able to run 4:11:17. As I was running I kept waiting for the infamous "wall" to hit me. When would I hit it? How hard would I hit it? How much would it hurt when I did hit it? And you know- I never hit it! I did feel tight in my legs, which I stopped to stretch a few times, but I think the Advil kept me from feeling the pain. When I crossed the finish line I was SO happy with how it went I gave the guy handing me my medal a hug. He said "You did it!" I said Yea! I did it!

It is kind of surreal to accomplish things that you have been working towards for so long. It has left me feeling a little empty the last few days. My SORE legs have kept the memory alive for me. I am just now able to go down my stairs facing forward and not backward to keep from screaming. As much as I have been in pain, I like the goal that the marathon gave me.

David made 2 of his 3 goals too. #1 he beat his goal time of 4 hours. He got 3:57: I am so proud of him! #2 he wanted to feel good at the end, as opposed to feeling awful after his last one in Houston when the temp was 80 plus degrees. He has been a little more stiff than me, but he feels good. #3 he will hopefully do, and that is to keep running after his recovery.

Partly intentional, and partly unintentional I didn't take my camera to the race, because I didn't have anyone to take pictures. I have some borrowed ones from my sister Kim (who is Boston marathon bound), and from my great running partner Shauna who also reached her goal of finishing her first marathon! Way to go girls!

BTW no pictures of David because he was off getting a massage when the camera's were out.

I think the best part of doing a marathon, or any competition is doing it with other people who you can share your pain, and your joy with! That is what makes it all worth it for me! Thanks peeps! You're the best!