Another push or motivator if that is what it’s called was the sight of the neighbors every Saturday morning, passing by my house and running with their dog. With my timid inner voice I would whisper: “One of these days, I will be like them and I will get up on Saturday mornings and run (without a dog of course since I possessed a huge “dog phobia”).  That day came sooner than I thought when I put on my walking shoes and headed out to conquer the neighborhood. Conquering is a strong word to be used here. It was more like collapsing after I very slowly attempted to run around the block (a mere distance of less the ¼ mile). 

 

Did this discourage me and humbled me? At first yes, but there was a spark within, that was fighting to get out. I simply allowed that spark to prevail, and it did. I dusted off the sheet with the very vague instructions on walk/run and followed it for a few weeks. At the same time I wanted to dream big, and with that said, I wanted to have the opportunity to train and run the Annual Manchester Road Race. I was on the right track, even though there was no coach, formal training, or motivators to inspire and push me. There was only the spark within me. Once the spark turned into a flame, there came the thirst to race and to even compete for my age group, and I certainly did and to my surprise at times I placed.

 

The competition in these local 5k races, pushed me to the next level and after running my first Manchester Road Race, I revisited my goals and added a few new ones. “Should I dare to run a half marathon?” I asked myself multiple times. It was a scary proposition, but my running fears had subsided and the flame was growing. I found someone at work to tag along with who was more of a veteran half marathoner and was nice enough to accompany me on that first half marathon in Hartford. The doubts and fears of a new half marathoner (me) melted once we left the starting line. It was a pleasant, emotional, satisfying, glorious experience that I will never forget. 

 

The first half marathon was the stepping stone to pursuing more training, coaching and reaching out to gain running knowledge, for the satisfaction of the next goal which I set for  myself. This was the big one; I wanted to run one marathon in my lifetime and I promised myself that would be it for seeking higher goals.  I found a group of runners with the same goal in mind (their first marathon) and we trained together every Saturday morning; we picked Philadelphia as our first marathon to do together. I brought the flame with me to the race, because that day I had wings and flew, I ran my second half of the marathon faster than the first,  I never hit a wall (as they claim everyone does on mile 20), and I came within seconds from qualifying for Boston.

 

Not in my wildest dreams would I have dreamt this day in Philadelphia.  Oh, and not in my wildest dreams, did I ever think I will run the Boston Marathon (I did qualify for Boston in Philadelphia, the second time I ran the marathon there). One last thing I want to add here is that I also got rid of my “dog phobia” and on many occasions I now run with my daughter’s dog Toby.

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Nothing is impossible my friends; Seek and find that spark within you and the world is yours to conquer and to run it!!

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People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.”
-Earl Nightingale