"The Journey is Part of the REWARD" by SenoraHarlow

Saturday long run was another milestone in my beginning program as a "marathon runner".  I would love to classify myself in such an accomplished group, but, I have not yet earned that title and can therefore . . . "not yet bestow it upon myself."  I don't really talk like that; i just thought it sounded cool, or intelligent - maybe poetic -->alright, wierd. My mind works like that sometime.  Maybe that is what happens after running 16 miles and taking 2 hours and 57 minutes of my life to bang one foot in front of the other relentlessly on the pavement in the very cold and rainy weather. What was I thinking??  Is this supposed to be good for me?

Again, it was a great feeling of accomplishment. I try to not be concerned about time but I know that I am. Some call it competitive, some call it Type A personality, I call it wanting to do the best that I know I can do and not settling for less than that --> you don't have to share with me what YOU call that! Especially if it includes words like "anal" or "compulsive", "uptight" or any of those other endearing and charming phrases used to describe people like me.  I find comfort in knowing that there in fact are other people like me which may be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view and what kind of person you are, but that's O.K. I consider it good - ha, ha.

One of the other team members expressed a desire to get less than 4 hrs 30 min in time because that is the time Oprah Winfrey ran her marathon in.  I remember a similar incident in which I set a time in my mind. Just after I was selected to be on the 2009 Covenant Health Marathon Team I heard that Beth Ostrosky, 36 yr old former model wife of the radio shock Jock Howard Stern completed the NYC marathon in 4 hrs 15 minutes, http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/11/03/howard_stern_on_hand_for_wife_s_nyc_mara Being of the non competitive, type b personality that I am NOT, I told myself if she can do it, I can too! So that 4 hr, 15 minute time just can't seem to get out of my head - UGH. So that is the story behind the time in my head.

I'll keep you updated. Gotta go Run!!