26.2

As anyone who has spoken to me in the last five months knows, I have been dedicating much of my life to training for a marathon. The wonderful news is that I finished the Chicago Marathon this past Sunday with a time of 4:37:40. Words cannot describe how surreal it was to see all of my hard work come to fruition and how lucky I felt to run the race alongside one of my best friends.

I had been training to run the marathon since May and throughout the journey of training I learned a lot. However, I also lost a lot. I lost five toe nails (one from the same toe on three separate occaisions). I lost several opportunities to go out with my roommates. I lost many hours of sleep and several of my days off were dedicated to long runs and recuperating. I lost several dollars to my post run slurpees, bandaids, and running gear. Making the commitment to run a marathon put me in a position of having to prioritize what was and was not worth it. Though I gave up a lot, I know I gained so much more.

Our Cheerleaders

If you asked me to sign up for a marathon a year ago, I would have laughed in your face. The farthest I had ever ran at that point was 7 miles and that run left me exhausted for the rest of the day. I never thought that I would be capable of that long of a run, but I admired those who could run it.

When I applied to work at Mercy Home, I found out that the agency has a team of runners run the marathon every year. At that point I had been training for a half marathon and decided to step out on a limb and sign up for the Chicago Marathon. After I signed up and paid to run, I immediately felt like vomiting, but I was committed.

Running by Mercy Home and still smiling

Five months later, I ran the race. Because I had trained well, the first 21 miles were a blast. It was such a phenomenal way to see the city and the energy was electrifying. I was greeted at mile 16 by my roommates, coworkers, and youth and at mile 18 by Paul. Because I was running the marathon for Mercy Home, I felt like I was running with such a purpose which pushed me along when things got challenging. By the time I crossed the finish line, I was exhausted, in pain, but so proud of myself. I was nearly brought to tears because I did something I thought I would never be able to do and that was amazing.

By running the marathon I lost a lot, but I gained so much more. I gained a sense of confidence that will carry me for days. I gained a new connection to the youth I work with at Mercy Home. I gained a new best friend in Anna because training alongside someone everyday lends itself to developing a true and real relationship. I gained a new connection to nature and am now humbled by its power. Mostly though, I gained an even strong love for running.

WE DID IT

Running has brought me closer to God and closer to a sense of self. It provides me with an opportunity to reflect and be vulnerable to the world. I wouldn't be me without running.

Hopefully someday I will run another marathon. It was challenging, but also so difficult and I am so grateful for having done it.