Marathons... The Perfect Life Metaphor!

People always ask me, "Why a marathon?" My response is always that it is the perfect life metaphor. Marathon Makeover isn't about completing a marathon but about learning about yourself and life through training for and running in a marathon.

How many times in life have you or someone in your life made plans, applied every imaginable effort only to find the path hopelessly blocked. Couples rearranging their whole life for nine months only to give birth to a precious baby already at home cradled in the arms of God. Men and women who apply all their energy to getting a degree only to run into roadblock after another in getting that dream job that doesn't materialize for some years down the road. Teenagers pose pains far worse than plantar fasciitis or stress fractures and the rub of your mate on your last nerve can really blister your spirit.

What do you do? You dig deep, put one foot in front of the other and stay whatever course you must travel. You look for new opportunities and know that one run does not determine the next. The goal of Marathon Makeover is to get you to the starting line and this year proved to be a new experience for me. I never entertained that the race could or would be called off and all I could think of was the disappointment that all of you would feel. I grieved, got ticked, tried to figure a way to get around this and ultimately had to accept that life (and the marathon) is what it is - a journey that starts and is won before the country star sings and the Kenyans take off.

The success is staying with the commitment and arriving with your best and accepting the things you cannot change, having the courage to change the things you can and having the wisdom to know the difference.

I WILL find meaning and purpose in the pain, suffering and disappointment and use that energy to bless instead of curse. I resolve to grow in such a way that when the tired, weary and thirsty souls come to me I will have living water to share and a kind word for their journey and I will be prepared, to the best of my ability, to give them what they need. AND, when I do fail and do let others down by my own negligence or just failing to take into consideration the curve balls of live, I will step up to the plate and take ownership, responsibility and the heat and apologize and not blame it on the runners.

"WE men and women are all in the same boat, upon a stormy sea. We owe to each other a terrible and tragic loyalty."

G.K. Chesterton

This is not...

"This is not the end. This is not the beginning. This is the end of the beginning."

Winston Churchill

Now that the race is over you have to decide if you are just beginning. It's worth the life change to keep moving and that's what the Marathon Makeover is all about!

Dance, Dance Scotty

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Saturday Pics!

Weather or Not...

Have you checked out the weather? It looks like the weather is going to be real nice! Highs in the 50's to low 70's and lows in the 30's to low 50's.

Wait a minute, that is a huge swing and variance! Yes, it really is. It all depends on what site you are looking at. So the message I am trying to get out is to be prepared for the best and the worst. Be prepared for mild weather and for bad weather. Be prepared for cool and be prepared for cold. All in all, the weather forecasts are looking great and we should have a pleasant time.

Get your wind breakers and your cool weather clothes prepared just in case you need them and pack them all in your carry-on bag (If you carry the MM bag - put your name on it!

See you tomorrow and let's have fun!

Professional Conferences, UGH!!!!

Well, I'm sitting in Philadelphia at the Pearl River Resort at a professional conference to get the needed CEU's to renew my license that is up for renewal. I'm about to learn about pedophiles. Woohoo! I'd rather be getting ready for Chicago!!

I know that so many of you are getting excited about the trip and it is great to see everyone reflecting on this journey. The reason why Robin, Matt and I keep on doing this is because of the life changes that we experience each year and the life changes we get to see experienced by our participants. The best part is watching the life changes in you!

We are down to the last group run before the BIG ONE and I am still amazed, even after four years, oft he tremendous transformations that occur over 35 weeks. I remember sprinting ahead of you in Belhaven to get to the turn around point and tell everyone to turn around or go further for the advanced distance. As I think about it, most of the "advanced" (not all) who ran that extra distance that day are not still training. It is all of you who started out with small steps and didn't do too much, too soon, or too fast that have stayed the course.

The good news is that there are no big hills in Chicago and you are ready for the course. I can't wait to see all of you on the airplane and on the boat tour and at the pasta meal and at the starting line experiencing this incredible event. You are going to be blown away! To see your excitement as you come back into the hotel with a medal around your neck, wrapped in silver blankets worn out and beaming is a real treat and is worth seeing again and again and again!

Now is the time to take some time and relax. Get your time and miles in and enjoy the experience. Here we go!

One more to go!

One ten-mile run down and one more to go! You have come so far and the fact is that you only have one more Clinton run to get out of the way for your Chicago Marathon debut. The biggest part now is staying the course, eating well, resting up and getting mentally prepared.

I don't want you to freak out AND I want you to prepare yourself for difficulties. There are reasons that people describe long and difficult tasks as marathons. The main reason is that they are long and difficult. Now difficult is not impossible, they are just difficult and you are prepared for that. It was difficult to get up the nerve to attend the first Marathon Makeover meeting. It was difficult to run that first mile in Belhaven. It was difficult to start getting up early every Saturday morning and meet to run before sunrise. It was difficult to run in the extreme heat for the 12 miler and 18 was hard, too.

My point is that you have encountered difficult and prevailed. There will be some difficult things you will face on the course in Chicago - and I don't know what it will be. It might be nerves, blisters, cramps or it might be nagging doubts, surfacing stuff or just plain ole fatigue. Whatever it is, now is the time to decide.

The word "decide" come from the Latin meaning "to cut from". Deciding to finish is cutting from yourself any option other than to finish. Cutting from yourself any excuse to step to the side (barring injury that is life threatening). It is burning the ships and marching forward off the beach away from our comfortable, and known, ships we've created and into the battle and unknown.

Find your reasons in the next two weeks. Find your "Why's" to finish the race. When your "why's" are strong the how becomes inconsequential. Decide now. Decide before you get on the plane. Decide before you lace up your shoes. You are marathoners and you are ready. The only thing left is the decision to keep putting one foot in front of the other until the medal is placed around your neck and you are wrapped in the silver blanket and told - "Congratulations Marathoner!"

Robin, Matt and I are so proud to have taken this journey with you and we can't wait to see your success. In actuality, you've already won the race, the rest is the decision to enjoy your life and do the spectacular!

Easy Does It!

Marathoners! You've come so far and now it is important that you take it easy! Slow down your pace, relax and keep moving but now it is all about replenishing your energy for the big day in a couple of weeks. I heard some of you were still sore come Wednesday - you should be! That's why we have 3 weeks between the last LONG run and the marathon.

This is the time to eat right, move slow, sleep a lot and start visualizing your success in Chicago. Think about your boat tour and deep dish pizza on Friday, shopping on the Magnificent Mile on Saturday, celebrating with everyone Saturday night over pasta and getting a great night sleep for the marathon on Sunday. See the city blocks packed with the thousands of people just like you and think about how alive you will be every step of the way with 1.5 million people cheering you on to success. Tell yourself pain will not stop you and that you haven't come this far to pull out.

Tomorrow we start at 6AM to get a little extra rest and an easy 10 miles. We have the tickets and running jerseys and we are ready to see you in the morning. Way to go marathoners!