As the trees change color and the leaves are falling, we are experiencing the change of the seasons. This brings me to the subject for my October blog – Change! I know I have talked about change before, but this time, I am going to look at it from a different perspective. If you want to reach a goal or start something new, you need to make a change.
My daughter Alex is a marathon runner, and watching the intense amount of training she does is mind blowing. She is very dedicated to the sport, even getting up at 4:30 in the morning to run. She missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon by 90 seconds in her first marathon, so she ran another marathon and qualified by 30 seconds. However, she was heartbroken when she received the devastating news that she didn’t make the top qualifiers in her division. She knew she had to make a change. She increased her miles, hired a coach, and worked her butt off. She ran a third marathon and qualified by more than 30 minutes, so guess where I get to go in April? To watch her run the Boston Marathon! I don’t know who is more excited!
Alex continues to train and prepare for that big day and is entering marathons around the area. Just recently, she was running a half marathon in Lincoln, Nebraska. She asked me if I could come with her to take her to the starting line and cheer for her along the way. It worked out great, because I was flying back from Salt Lake City, Utah, from a speaking gig and flying into Omaha, Nebraska.
As we were heading to the starting line that day, I could feel her energy go up along with mine. I have always loved to run, and seeing 7,000 runners line up to race was so exciting. As Alex began the race, I ran to my car to meet her at the four-mile mark. After she came by and I cheered her on, I ran to my car to meet her at the nine-mile mark. After she ran by, I literally was sprinting to my car to get to the finish line. I don’t know who was more tired – me or Alex.
As I stood by the finish line, I was so excited about seeing her come across. I started talking to a young gentlemen who was waiting for his friend to finish. I looked at him and said, “We should be coming across instead of watching,” and he agreed. With his help, I was tracking Alex on my phone, and she was getting closer. As she finished, I got tears in my eyes and was so full of excitement that I couldn’t stop taking photos.
Thinking about the change and dedication a marathon runner has to put into one race made me realize the value of hard work. If you really want something, make that change and do it. We have a tendency to hold ourselves back, because we think we can’t; but when we tell ourselves we can, we can! After watching my daughter, I came home and went out and purchased some running shoes. I started running, and believe me, it’s not pretty. I know I need to start slowly and train to the point of trying a half marathon. Let others inspire you, but also, inspire yourself! My daughter has inspired me to get out and start running again, and it truly feels great. Congratulations, Alex! I can’t wait to see you run in the Boston Marathon in April of 2025!
