I have been thinking about a woman that I met around Mile 19 of Napa Valley Marathon (2005). Her name was Marion. She was 58 years old and running her 97th marathon. That day, I wasn’t the only one struggling. Marion’s father had recently passed, and she was dealing with a foot injury. But she was motivated to finish as she had a goal to run her the San Francisco Marathon as her 100th marathon. On that Spring day, this lady showed me how to dig deep and just keep on moving.
Now, seventeen years later, her words still motivate me to keep steady and “just put one foot in front of the other.” I’ve done my training: logging the miles, cross training, getting adequate rest, and eating right. On Sunday, I will toe the line once again and run my 1st race in 11 years.
My mantra for race day is:
Nothing to prove. ”