We are ten days out from race day, and so many emotions are running through my brain.
I’m nervous I haven’t trained as I should have; I’ve gained a lot of weight, and I certainly don’t look like an athlete. What if I can’t do it? What if I get tired and want to give up?
Despite the pre-race nerves, I’m also excited-I love the exhilaration of race day; I’m looking forward to the atmosphere and camaraderie of the other racers; Even though I’m fighting a disability by doing my miles on a knee scooter, hey, 13.1 is still 13.1.
It’s been difficult at times to share some of the more vulnerable parts of my journey. Social media sometimes tends only to show the triumphs and the positives in someone’s life. I wanted to be brutally honest and share the significant parts but also share the story of how I’ve struggled. I feel so fortunate to have such a supportive community of family, friends, and fellow racers. Over the last few years, I have put together a scrapbook of motivational sayings that help inspire me. As we count down the days until the race, I would like to share some of my favorites:
*Run when you can; walk if have to; crawl if you must; never give up
*If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you
*Strength doesn’t come from what you can do; it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t
*It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, so long as you don’t stop
*Don’t limit your challenges; challenge your limits
*No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everyone on the couch
*It’s fun to do the impossible
*A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step
Thank you for allowing me to share my journey! See you at the finish line!
by Stefanie Harper
Recent Comments