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!