3 days, 19 hours and 4 minutes till the marathon! Im excited and I feel ready besides some annoying shin splints but no major problems. Two Saturdays ago the tapering began. My long run was 25K and I did speed work all that week. This Saturday my long run was 12 K. Tuesday I did weight training and 1/2 hr bike, today I did a fast 6K and tommorrow I will probably do a fast 10K and then that will be it till the marathon. Yikes!
Last week I was reading a book called "Unthinkable" by Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee to finish the Hawian Ironman Triathlon. It has been very inspiring and has really helped me to get mentally ready and pumped for the race. If I think qualifying for Boston is "Unthinkable" what about a double amputee doing an Ironman!? Its crazy the obstacles that he had to overcome. He had no money, no bike, didnt know how to swim, was overweight and his father said it was ridiculous and didnt speak to him, oh yeah and he didnt have any legs! It makes running a marathon look like a cake walk.
He said the hardest part of a triathlon for him is the biking portion. First of all he didn't have a bike so he had to borrow one. It was 4 sizes too small so he just had his legs made shorter. The 100 K Hawian Ironman bike portion is known to be especially hard because of the extreme wind and heat. But strangely during the race Scott didnt feel hot. He couldnt understand it and even said outloud, "Why am I not hot?" Then he heard not in an audible voice but God saying to him - because you are under the shadow of my love and said he could actually see wings. He says to the reader I know you are probably thinking I was hullicinating from the heat but I knew it was real and I felt such peace. He ran into a lot of hurdles during the race but God carried him through to the end. To be named an Ironman every participant no matter how many legs you have must finish within 17 hours. Scott finished just before midnight in 16 hrs and 42 mins. He is an Ironman.
When I was reading about his "God experience" it reminded me of my experience in the Ottawa marathon. I also remember thinking Why do I feel so good? I've never felt that good during a long run before and I went over all the reasons in my head why I felt so good; training with the Running Free Ironmen? my Lance Armstrong waffers? my Lululemon socks that have a secret 'Run Fast' message in them? I had my family there? Maybe its just simply because I was under the shadow of his love. On His wings I can sore like an eagle.
Im ready!....I think.
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