April 16, 2013

Motivational Monday #11


After getting the kids on the bus this morning, I turned on CNN to continue watching the footage of the Boston Marathon bombing. I'm still just stunned at the whole thing. I wasn't planning to run today, but something strange happened while I was watching the news--I felt like I needed to run. I was feeling so sad every time the news showed photos and video of the bombing.

Every time I saw the photo of the 8-year old boy who was killed, my heart just broke all over again. I feel so sad for his father, who had just finished the race when the bomb went off. I have an 8-year old boy, and he was waiting at the finish line for me at my first marathon last year. It meant so much to me that my family was there for me. I just couldn't even imagine going through that.

My heart felt so heavy, and I felt like I needed to get out of here. I actually wanted to go for a run. And I realized that over the past year or so, I've evolved as a runner. When I'm feeling stressed, running takes my mind off of the stressors. When I'm feeling anxious, running gets out that negative energy. When I'm feeling sad, running is a relief in the same way that crying is.

I put on my running clothes, and headed out the door. I ran six miles at a comfortable pace, and as I ran, I thought about how proud I am to be a runner. Runners have a determination so strong that nothing can break it. I left the house with a lump in my throat and a head full of images that sickened me; but when I returned, the lump was gone and all I could think about was how much love I have for the running community (both runners and spectators showing their support). It was very fitting, then, when I saw this quote that John posted on Facebook:



It couldn't be more true! And on that note, I'd like to share yesterday's Motivational Monday post...



Yesterday, I got a phone call from John, my Ragnar Relay teammate who lives in San Diego. He was at a 10K race, and said that he met a woman named Wyndi, who recognized him from my blog! Later, I got an e-mail from Wyndi about the encounter, and she wanted to share that for Motivational Monday. This is Wyndi and John at the Peace Love Run race... (by the way, if you ever seen John out and about, make sure to say hello! He is honestly one of the friendliest people you'll ever meet).



This is Ally and her fiance, after running her first 5K. Her fiance made her promise that after the race, she would start calling herself a runner--and after running the 3.1 miles in the rain, she finally agreed that she was, in fact, a runner. She finished in 33:58, beating her goal time by over 6 minutes!



I don't have many male readers, so I am always excited to hear from the few that do read ;) This is Dean, running a 5K race--his very first race! He is running to lose weight, and has lost 34 pounds so far. He said he ran the whole way, felt great, and even could have kept going!


Katie walked 25,780 steps on Saturday--the equivalent of nearly 11 miles! That was the most steps she's taken in a single day so far. She's also lost 42 pounds since January! (Here is Katie's blog)



Chris ran her first 5K in under 42 minutes, beating her goal time of 45 minutes! When she first started training in February, she couldn't even run for a minute without getting tired and winded, but she persisted, and it paid off in a big way at her race.



Elizabeth ran her second 10K on Saturday, and PR'ed by 5 minutes from last years' time. She's lost an amazing 151 pounds! (Here is Elizabeth's race report on her blog, and her Facebook page)



Ashley PR'ed her third half-marathon, with a goal of 2:10--and she finished in 2:09:55! She spotted another of my Ragnar teammates, Andrea, at the race, also (next time, make sure you say hello! Andrea is super nice, I promise.) (Here is Ashley's blog)



Amanda ran the Portland Race for the Roses 10K--by herself! She's always run with a friend or family member, and she was very nervous to do the race alone, but she made her goal time with ONE SECOND to spare! This photo is with her sister, who ran the half-marathon. (Here is Amanda's race report)



Kelly ran her fastest 5K ever at a race last weekend, finishing in a super speedy 23:37! She's shaved 10 minutes off of her 5K time over the past 2.5 years, dropping about 20 pounds in the process. She has a goal of completing an Ironman by 2015. (Here is Kelly's race report on her blog)



Tricia completed her first 10K on Saturday! She began with a goal of running 5K, and when she checked that goal off, she went for the 10K. Now that she's completed that goal, she's toying with the idea of one day doing a half-marathon :)  (Here is Tricia's Facebook page)




Lyndsey did her first trail run (if you've ever run on a trail, you know it's quite a bit different from road running). Only one-tenth of a mile into the run, she fell, scraping up her leg; but rather than limp back home with a broken spirit, she continued on for a total of 8.5 miles! That's hardcore ;)


Deb ran a half-marathon on Saturday to benefit the American Cancer Society. She ran in memory of her mom, who passed of lung cancer 14 years ago. Deb says, "She would be so proud that I've lost 40 pounds, and am running, and loving it!"




After reaching 80 pounds lost, Wendy started the Couch to 5K program this week! She said it felt great, and she hopes to train to one day run a 5K, 10K, half- or full-marathon, or even a Ragnar.



Here is a link to the Facebook post with lots of great motivation. Here is a snippet:


GREAT JOB this week, and congrats to all of you!

19 comments:

  1. I can't stop watching. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat hoping to catch the breaking news that they found the people that did this.

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  2. Wow! I feel like a celebrity, being on your page! Tonight at 6:00, over 150 runners in my small Tennessee town, met and ran 5 miles together in support of
    Boston. It was a very emotional run. I felt so proud and blessed to be a part of the running community. We are truly family.

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  3. Hearing about the 8 year old boy just killed me. All I could think of was my own 9 year old boy who likes to run with me, and he's been to a lot of my races. I can't even imagine. :( I ran 3 miles this morning and thought about the people in Boston the whole time. Thanks for including me in your blog! I was/am very proud of myself. :)

    I love reading everyone's accomplishments. Way to go!

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  4. I love your Motivational Monday posts!! They're truly inspiring. And I needed it today..feeling a little down in my weightloss quest!

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  5. It's so fabulous that your blog and online presence gives people the confidence to become runners!

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  6. Congrats to everyone! Especially those who just managed to beat their PR by a few seconds - those are the best! :)

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  7. As I read more about the 8 year old little boy, Martin, who was killed I learned that his Mother who was right next to him suffered a severe brain injury and his 6 year old sister lost a leg. My heart aches for that family as it does for everyone affected in Boston. I am just so sad for everyone affected. I love your quote about the resilience of runners. That was powerful.

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  8. I felt the need to run this morning too. I didn't want to, but I needed to. It was an interesting phenomenon. Maybe I've evolving too :)

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  9. Thank you for inspiring a lot of runners out there! I was also shocked with the Boston Marathon Disaster! But, I believe that this thing just made the runners all throughout the world to become stronger and not to lose hope. A lot of people are praying and helping one another, UNITY is still the best word for this tragic happening. I will continue to run, and I won't be scared by this, let's just be more careful and be alert at all times.

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  10. Thank you - I feel the same way. We need to take back running from those who tried to ruin it! I wonder if we all did the same thing - thought about our own races in the past, our own families at the finish line (I wrote about the exact same topics yesterday on my blog, if you are interested: http://wp.me/p1N36Q-5o) I'm running this week for all of those who can't anymore.

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  11. Thank you for featuring me in your post! I appreciate your kind words.

    I've been glued to the news as well. It's heartbreaking.

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  12. Thank you for the uplifting post. A few weeks ago I overcame one of my biggest insecurities and joined a running team. Last night we dedicated our run to those who were affect by Boston. It was a beautiful sunny evening in Alaska and a great time to come together to run and enjoy our running community.

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  13. I'm not a runner, but even -I- wanted to go for a run after watching the news the other day. I settled for doing my usual workout at a quicker pace and then used heavier weights. It helped, and it kept me out of the grocery store, but my heart is still heavy. This has been simply awful. I hope they catch the responsible party/parties quickly so the victims and families can attempt to move on.

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  14. Thank you for such an uplifting post and giving me motivation to last all week. I love hearing how others are conquering their health and fitness goals and am truly inspired by each and every person featured.

    Katie - I totally understand what you mean about how running is your go-to stress reliever. Back when I was in college, running was my way of relieving stress, taking out frustration and draining negative energy. At the end of a run I would magically feel better and have a free mindset to go and seize the rest of the day!

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  15. OMG!! I ran the same race John ran! I knocked 7 minutes off my 10k and the medal is amazing.

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  16. I can't wait until I can count myself in the ranks of runners. I'm two weeks away from my due date and longing for the day I can start my new exercise regimen. And my husband has agreed to do it with me! Your blog inspires me so much to be a better person and hopefully a great mother when the time comes. Thank you for being that inspiration for me.

    http://shakinforbacon.blogspot.com/

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  17. I've definitely seen a lot more runners out than usual the past two days. It's made me feel a little better about this whole thing. Not much, but a little.

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  18. SandiegoJohn!!! I love that you guys are racing together. In Chicago, we're all getting together on Monday night to do a group run for Boston. I have a feeling there are going to be a LOT of runners show up. Sad reason to get together, but I can't wait to see the turnout.

    And if you ever need a member for your 100 pounds lost Ragnar Relay, I would LOVE to run with you guys!

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  19. I love these posts. Congrats to everyone!

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I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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