Good Things: Runner’s Soul Edition
Good Thing One:
Not that I even have to say it aloud, because I’m fairly certain our entire country, and quite possibly the entire world, is pulsing with the excitement that we have a new president and that president is Barack Obama. I feel like shouting it from the rooftops doesn’t do this election enough justice.
There were some less good things about last night, a few ballot measures that passed–most notably Proposition 8, but others, too–and I will admit that makes me sad and disappointed in our country’s seeming progress toward civil rights, FOR EVERYONE. We surely do have miles to go before we sleep.
Ultimately, though, I really do find this day and our new president remarkable, and the giddy smile plastered on my face? Look for it to be there for quite some time.
Originally uploaded by Hankins.
Good Thing Two:
On Monday and Tuesday of this week I started perusing recaps from the recent ING New York Marathon and was almost immediately crying after reading the story of an Oregonian and Olympian, who chose the race on November 2nd as her marathon debut. She took third and ran one of the fastest times in the marathon’s history.
Ryan Reynolds ran, too, for the Michael J. Fox Foundation to benefit Parkinson’s, a disease with which his own father struggles, and talked about how actually seeing Michael J. Fox (be still my heart) on 5th avenue helped propel him to the finish line. He finished in just under four hours, which is awesome not only because my little sister finished her marathon faster than this body:
But because he, a self-proclaimed non-runner, FINISHED, and that is fantastic in and of itself.
In fact, thousands upon thousands of runners finished, and I don’t mean to suggest for a moment that one finisher is more important than another, because, well, I just don’t believe that. I do verily believe they are all some of the most inspiring and pavement-pounding of all champions. I just couldn’t miss the seemingly only opportunity I will ever have to post a picture of Ryan Reynold’s abs on my website without it seeming 100% gratuitous.
Because right now it only seems about 80% gratuitous.
After reading a few articles from various news sources, I started searching Flickr for images of the race and the runners, and these were three of my favorites:
Originally uploaded by Barry Yanowitz
Paula Radcliffe in the front, who would go on to win the marathon.
Originally uploaded by HVMedic538
Originally uploaded by the_junes
Good Thing Three:
While spelled in 7th grade cell phone texting style (or the way your mom writes emails), this! is nearly the exact verbage on my sister’s favorite sign she saw while running the Portland Marathon in early October of this year.
Good Thing I May Be Crazy:
I have two new goals. Real, hard, ginormously super-sized goals, for me. Goals that are going to take so much work I would be shaking in my sneakers were I not so excited. Goals I’m announcing here because I’m going to need all the help and support, all the accountability and questions you can muster. Goals I’m announcing here a full two months before yearly resolutions begin to bubble forth from the ambitious insides of friends and family, because I really am going to need the head-start.
The first goal is to attempt (and finish!) a half marathon on Nov. 29th, 2009 in Seattle.
The second is to finish a full marathon on Oct. 3rd, 2010 in Portland. Hopefully with my amazing and inspiring little sister running beside me.
I know people will doubt me, think I won’t be fully committed, or that I might not even be able to do it at all. I hear those comments in my own head on a daily basis and I’m going to imagine they are lining every piece of pavement underneath my feet until I finish those races.
Good for you! You’ve got my full support and encouragement as you pursue these goals.
And my full support and encouragement for posting that picture of Ryan Reynolds! (Although, he as a “non-runner” totally smoked whatever time I will probably get in a week and a half in San Antonio, but that’s okay…)
THIS IS SO GREAT!!!!! You ABSOLUTELY can complete a marathon! Our bodies are amazing machines. With smart training and patience, you will achieve so much!
(Don’t feel like you need to run the entire thing… I do my distance running in a 4:1 ratio — four minutes running, one minute walking. I’ll tell you more about it at a later time!!)
When I started training for my triathlon last year, I was pretty wounded by people’s comments to me. I never did ANYTHING before that training. Never played a sport (except skiing, which isn’t really aerobic) and barely ever worked out. So there were some doubters who felt it necessary to voice their skepticism.
But I did, and I finished in one piece.
You can too.
When you approach that 13.1 mile mark, I will fly up and run the Seattle half marathon with you. How about that?
I HEART Ryan Reynolds (and Michael J Fox!). I, um, have a wallpaper for my computer somewhere that prominently features those abs. Consider me very impressed that Babycarrot Sister had a faster time. :)
Super bummed about Prop 8, but OMG OBAMA! WE DID IT! I have been tearing up off and on both today and yesterday for this reason - I am just so excited and proud and giddy. Someone at work brought in Victory Doughnuts this morning and they were heartily enjoyed.
And, um, not speaking of doughnuts, a marathon! I firmly believe you can do it. Woo! Kerri! Woooo!
Are you kidding me? Doubt? Ridiculous. You can and will do this. End of story.
As Marci said and I can attest to, she is living proof that you can do anything you want to, if you want it bad enough.
Even though I have no aspirations to run that far, there is something clearly very special about running marathons. So many people around me base their lives around them and that says a lot.
Good luck! You can do it.
Awesome!! You rock and running rocks too. I’m not a very long distance runner or terribly consistent about my workouts, but honestly there is nothing better than the euphoric feeling you get after running for any length of time. It’s even better than a big bowl of Ina Garten Mac & cheese ;) Can’t wait to read about your progress and cheer you on!
First of all: Your banner makes me smile on this rainy, rainy, day in which somebody forgot to turn the heat on at work.
And, second: YAY! I’ll see how B & I do on our couch to 5K training (HE STILL HAS NOT STARTED) and maybe I’ll join you. For one of those. The shorter one.
I don’t doubt you FOR A SECOND. I know you can do it, and you are inspiring me to start running again!
I finished Couch to 5K last month, when the only running I did in the past 10 years was the few odd (yet brief) forays into exercise. I blog about it every once in awhile, because I’m friggin’ proud of myself. Just 3 1/2 months ago I couldn’t run more than a few minutes, and now I am managing 5K+ three or four times a week.
Despite my newfound addiction to running, I’m terrified of the idea of a marathon. Bloody terrified. However, if you set this goal for yourself, I’m sure you’ll be able to stick to it. You have a lot in your favour - you’re not rushing yourself to achieve those goals in an unreasonable time, plus you have the support of your sister who has been there. I have no doubt you’ll be fine, and I can’t wait to read about your journey.
Are you kidding? I BELIEVE in you. After last night, everything is possible… even another decision on Proposition 8 in the future, I hope.
No doubt here, you can do anything. And October 3 is Mike’s birthday, so I already think good things happen on that day.
You can TOTALLY do it, Kerri! I will be rooting for you every last step of the way. And I know you are familiar with Jenni’s theories about what people are and are not capable of. You can do more than you know, and you will amaze yourself!
Remember that time you posted that picture of Ryan Reynolds on your blog and I kept the post open all day just so I could peek at it every few minutes?
That was awesome.
Also, I’m excited about your running goals. I started running two weeks ago, with a 5K in February as my goal. I’m very nervous. Maybe we could be running buddies.
i love that picture of barack, it’s awesome.
Of course you can do it. YES YOU CAN!
And if you don’t mind, I’d like to be there on the 29th to cheer you on from the sidelines.
Oh my goodness, you can do this! This is a wonderful goal and everything you wrote about should be so inspiring (not to mention some good eye candy). Have fun at Ray tonight!
GO YOU!
I know you can do it. That you WILL do it. Because I know you, and know that you CAN.
i know you can do it. it’s gonna be very hard at times but you can do it. if obama can win ohio and indiana, you can run a marathon, babe! i’m sure you’ve heard of couch25k - maybe that’s a bit help? i really should be doing something again, too. need to get fitter and healthier! you can do it. YES YOU CAN! :)
wow. good luck on the marathons; i don’t think i could ever ever make it. (and thanks for the gratuitous pictures of ryan reynolds. wow.)
Woweee Bebe!! I’ll be there, probably drinking and smoking but I’ll be there. You’re awesome!!
ryan. effing. reynolds.
*drool*
*more drool*
There was so many things I was going to say but I’m just stuck on that photo of Ryan Reynolds. If staring at it for long periods of time is wrong, I don’t think I ever want to be right.
That photo of Ryan was nice. I ran a half marathon once and looked nowhere near that ripped. Guess I should have kept going the other 13 miles. Scarlet is one lucky gal! Maybe watching you go for it will inspire me to try again.
And I’m still giddy about Tuesday (except for the icky anti-gay amendments). But I do have some, perhaps overly optimistic, hope for the lawsuit against Prop 8 in California. I think the lawsuit is based on a sound legal theory that should win with the Court that first granted gay marriages in May. The only question is will they be too scared to follow through.
I am a lurker who came to your site through a link at some point…I don’t even remember from where. But after reading this post and the one about your sister (brought a little tear to my eye), I just had to comment.
I run and I just wanted to lend my yes you can to the mix.
I started running just under 2 years ago after being jealous of runners my entire life. I would dread the day in gym class when we had to run- even if it was just around the block. I tried to “train” for a 5K wit no plan and ended up hurting my ankle. I just kept thinking “I’m not a runner” because I had never been able to do it. As it turned out, I had just never tried.
Now, the kid that was “sick” on running days in gym class has run 2 half marathons and many 10K races. I actually LIKE getting up on the weekend and running. There are days I doubt myself, days I lose my feeling of commitment, days that I wonder how I will ever get myself through those miles, but ultimately, I end up getting it done.
I can see you have a lot of support and people around you that know what those bad runs feel like and can reassure you that it WILL get better (and worse sometimes too). So good luck…I look forward to reading about it.
Oh no, not someone else who is going to get into shape! There are hardly any lazy bloggers left anymore!
What an awesome post! So many great things to be happy about, besides Ryan’s hotdamn abs (applies cold compress). Huzzah for Obama! Huzzah for America! I’m sad too about Prop 8, but I have high hopes that we’ll revisit the issue with better results next time.
And how awesome that your sister finished her race! It’s really just a fantastic rush, and the pride lasts a heck of a lot longer than the chafing. The kicking ass statement has always been my favorite for runners, and I write in on all of my run T-shirts for my races. If I pass people, at least i know I’m leaving them with a smile.
If your sister hasn’t already offered some resources, I’d like to give some props to Team in Training. Their coaches are wonderful people, and you learn so much from having other runners, mentors and coaches helping you along the way. You do have to raise money for cancer, but again, you have tons of help. I’ve trained with them 4 times and believe in them enough to push them on other people. If not, Galloway’s book on running is a great tool, especially for the running schedules he has in the index. Also I’ve heard Runners World and Nike both have some neat online stuff for marathoners.
Good luck! I think it’s fantastic that you’re doing it, and if you ever have any questions, i’d be happy to help.