Another Starting Line

This morning I read back through some old blog posts and stumbled across this one. At the beginning of this year's marathon training, it felt as though I would never get here. Marathon Monday felt so far away, and the days in between promised to be full of cold and drudgery.

Some days really were a struggle. Many days the bitter wind blew through every layer of clothing I had on and left red patches on my skin. Some mornings my body all but refused to get out of the hot shower and head back outdoors to go to work. There was at least a month where I was positive I would never regain feeling in my face or fingers.

But, you know what? I did it. I remembered how I felt during the taper last year and knew that I would appreciate every single mile I put in. I did exactly what I set out to do, which was to get up those first tough mornings and suffer through the slow runs. My lungs burned. My head spun. But it worked. It got easier. I'm back at an 8:30 pace for my regular runs. Long distance feels easy when I pace it out correctly and keep a positive attitude. 

I have run over 1,000 miles since I started my official Boston training in December of 2012. The journey to Boylston Street is a lot longer than 26.2. As I have said before, working toward the accomplishment of such a big goal makes me reconsider what else in my life I have previously written off as impossible.

Tomorrow I will be back at the starting line of the Boston Marathon. But beyond the incredible chance to finally finish what I set out to do last year, tomorrow marks a new starting line for me - life without this big day looming ahead. Free Saturdays with the opportunity to sleep in. No reason to be outside when the windchill is below zero. 

Will I enjoy it? Sure. For a second. But there will absolutely be a gaping hole in my life brought on by the absence of my teammates and coaches. The lack of something big to propel me out of bed in the morning. So, as always, the question I will ask myself is, "What's next?"