Madness

According to Wikipedia, Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns.

This is how I refer to the path that my sister Amy and I have embarked on. I was inspired in 2010 by a friend of mine that run a half marathon after her first baby. I couldn’t believe the things she was posting on Facebook- 6 miles?? Wait… Do you mean all at one time?? And from there the number steadily increased until she posted her race day pictures! I couldn’t believe it! I thought only career runners can go that far without dying, well and Forest Gump. So there I was; watching my baby that was going on 6 months old play on the floor while sitting in a recliner with a glass of wine and some form of chocolate in my hand; not comprehending why I was having such motivational issues! The more I got to thinking the more I realized, I need a goal (and probably a break from Chocolate), and it needed to be hard. Not “run every day and like it” (while butterflies and birds sing their songs and motivate me to keep going) but pay for something and commit to it.

So I announce I was going to run in the Kansas City Marathon, well the Half Marathon let’s be clear. And I knew I needed a partner, someone who could deal with my shortcomings (the very few that there are) - not push me down and pass me and still love me in the end. Who better then my sister? Her first reaction, the best I can recall, was “13 miles?? Are you crazy?? Drunk??” and then before I knew it- we were both on a training plan and telling the world we were going to do it. More than likely I told everyone I saw because I was bragging, but I think subconsciously I was making sure I would do it. Who would want to admit defeat to everyone they knew?? And I didn’t want to have to break a vital limb just to get out of it, so it was on.

Over the next few months, between those wonderful stares from my husband when I said I was too tired to train, a full time job, and a toddler running around, I found time to learn how to run over a period of time without dying. And before I knew it, race day came. We had coordinated our outfits, avoided alcohol the night before and shoved ourselves into the midst of thousands of other crazies trying to prove something at 6:00 am in the morning. I was super nervous that day, but excited all at the same time. My memories from that day reflected on the friends that showed up to cheer (both along the way and at the end) and the multiple times I told my sister dramatically “Go on without me…. I can’t make it.” But we did, and with that finish came a victory beer, medal and more bragging rights then we ever imagined. Not to mention the honor of applying that “13.1” sticker on your car so even strangers can look at you with awe…. J

 3 hours, 8 minutes, two port-a-potty stops, multiple street bands, endless Dixie cups of water and many motivational speeches later we finished. And by finished I mean we made it across the finish line on our own two feet.

Don’t let that smile fool you… we are leaning towards each other in the picture because we are actually leaning ON each other. Good times. Also pictured with us would be my niece who ran her first kids fun run that day… couldn’t say I remember too much about it as I was only focused on “don’t fall over, don’t fall over, don’t fall over they will make you go to the hospital” but what I do remember is she finished with style and we all got our medals.

So in the end, nice story, lovely pictures- what’s the point? Although we have achieved our first half marathon, we are on our way to complete our first full marathon (don’t worry I haven’t let my sister nail down a date- this will need MUCH preparation). Not to mention, I have found that while I run, I am HILARIOUS! The inner dialogue that happens between my ears throws off my breathing routine (in-in-out-out-in-AH HA HA HA HA). I try to call my mother at the completion of these runs and share, and she finally told me I should share these stories with everyone- so I am! Even though I think she might have just been trying to tell me to quit calling her in the middle of her cake baking shows.

So the path begins---- with a running plan every week, two half marathons this year and a future date for a full I think this will be quite the riot of a journey and I am hopeful that you not only have a few laughs but decide to join us on any and all of our running adventures!

Happy Trails- and remember the further you run the more you can eat!

~K