Chicago
Marathon today. 15 years ago, on the 15th of October, I ran my
first marathon here in the Windy City. It was a day that changed
my life! That was the day that I KNEW I could run 26.2 miles. It
was that day that I KNEW I could do ANYTHING!
I told
you I'd share this story with you today. It's about a good friend
of mine.
A good friend was going to run her first marathon a few years
ago. I had referred her to the same hotel we were staying in, and
when we went to her room, her fiance answered the door. She was
sitting on the bed with a pillow in her lap. Her head down. She
was crying.
Too much stress. All the things to remember. All the advice,
the coaching, the books, the "experts" words swirling around in her
head. Combined with the next day's venture into the unknown she
was completly overwhelmed.
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I jumped off a bridge in New Zealand. Don't worry. I was
connected to a big rubber band. As I stepped off the platform into
thin air, I discovered something in the next half-second. There
was nothing I could do. Either I was going to die or I wasn't.
After that, my mind totally changed modes and I was focused on the
experience, the fun, the adrenaline, the sensations. IT WAS
GREAT!!
-------
I hugged my friend, told her to relax. All that advice you've
been listening to at this point is just extra noise. Either you've
trained enough, or you haven't. It's too late to worry about that
now. We went out to eat, relaxed, and enjoyed the moment. I saw
her at the starting line, still a little nervous, but enjoying it.
On the out-and-back course, I saw her, still on her way out, a
couple miles behind me as I was heading back. She was smiling.
Enjoying. I crossed the road and gave her a big smooch. She was
having a great time.
Later as she crossed the finish line, I grabbed a medal from a
race volunteer and put it around her neck. The tears of the day
before were replaced with joy. Her first marathon.
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EVERYBODY HERE LOVES YOU
So, I said all that to make this point:
RE-FREAKIN'-LAX
You're ready. You've prepared. You've trained. And now,
it's time for the fun. Feel the energy from the people around
you. Find someone wearing a staff jacket and give them a hug.
It's your day now. Enjoy everything about it.
Don't stress about parking. There's plenty. Don't stress
about aid stations. They're well stocked, and they're ROCKIN'.
Don't stress about portajohns. We have plenty. (Some of them look
like big blue plastic boxes and have white toilet paper. Many
others look like big plants with woody stems and have various
colored toilet paper on them.)
Everybody here loves you. We're all here to help. And YOU?
You're gonna be awesome out there.
