This morning, I was running and I started thinking of my running goals. I haven't really had one up until now. I have just been running to build my own fitness, and increase my 5k time.I had been thinking of training to run another half marathon. When I was running this morning I remembered the reason I ever started training for a marathon in the first place. My Mammaw. She passed away last September but before I she left, I told her I would run a marathon for her. Why? You may be wondering, well let me explain.
My Mammaw is my dad's mom. She is probably the most interesting woman I had ever known. She was well educated, she continued her education well on into her old age. She was 94 when she went to the other side. She always encouraged me to be myself, be unique and to keep myself in a learning environment no matter what my age! She was my inspiration for a lot of things. My Dad is a lot like her in ways he probably doesn't know. They are both, determined, the most determined people I have ever known. My Mom and Dad always encouraged this way of thinking when I was growing up. I can do what ever I set my mind to! Depending on the nature of my mind set, sometimes "determined" turns into "stubborn" I think they are one in the same! Mom and Dad try to help my bro and I avoid disaster with some of our "hard headed-ness". Like, my first marriage, Oliver getting a dog...things like that, they are usually right on the money, go figure! ;-) One of Mom's famous quotes has always struck us after disaster strikes " I told you it was a bad idea but when you get your mind set on something..." Well, sometimes it works against us, I have made some mistakes but I learn from them.
The last years of Mammaws life was spent in an limited, frustrating fashion. The most active, out going person I know was limited in what she could do. She became ill, her body couldn't keep up with her mind. She still did all that she could until her last day. She never gave up, the way some have in my family. She hung in there and finished her life. Even when life got so difficult at the end, she hung in there. She left us with dignity and grace.
As I was running this morning, the conversation we had about running came into my head. I unplugged my Ipod and just listened to my thoughts. I remembered a conversation I had with Mammaw when she was in the nursing home, just a few months before she moved on, she was coughing and telling me that she couldn't get down to play the piano for all of the other patients during dinner because of "all this old yucky stuff". " You know what? I told her, I am going to train to run a marathon, and I am going to run it in your name" she laughed and said, well, I think you can do it, you can do any thing if you set your mind to it!" The next week I got a letter in the mail with a newspaper clipping in it about marathon training. She wanted me to run it!
Well, I ran a half marathon (as part of my training for the full) my plans for Mammaw's marathon was interrupted, I found that I was pregnant. All though, it was a very welcomed interruption, I never got to do it. So now, Avery is 6 months old, I am in good shape.. I am going to train to run it, for her, in Mammaw's name. It will not be easy and I realize I may fail, Mammaw got through some tough times, when her mind was still raring to go, her body could not, I can't imagine how frustrating that must have been. My body is going to go for her, I will train for the next 5 months, My base miles today are 7 miles, I will gradually increase my milage to 26.2. So, here's to determination and perseverance! Here's to you Mammaw, I am going to train for the Memphis St. Jude Marathon, December 2008. Wish me luck everyone! I am going to keep you updated in my training so keep checking in, any extra encouragement is welcomed!! ~K
No comments:
Post a Comment