Individual "stories" have inspired me to go back to the one thing that has always been constant in my life; Running. Sometimes I get lost in my "story". I tend to lose sight of what my main role is supposed to be. Instead of focusing on being a good person and helping others, I get caught up in the details that are really not significant to the pages of my life. I start focusing on the things that I don't have rather than the amazing things that I do have like family, friends, and health. These three variables have never changed in my life. Sometimes my character in my book loses sight of the fact that not everyone has a family, not everyone has close friends, and unfortunately not everyone has their health. This is where I go back and re-write my pages. I can make changes. I have made changes, I will continue to make changes. It's my book.
Running marathons to me are purely about everyone's story. It's like running 5 hours and reading 5,000 mini stories all in one novel. It's very inspiring. Training for a marathon you have many many hours to be in your own thoughts and re-evaluate the pages in your book... Here are some stories that I have thought about or encountered during a marathon:
Stories
Ben-lost 120lbs, beat depression, and got HOT!! Take a look! (I didn't see him in a race but I saw his video)
Tebo-He crossed my mind as I was running a marathon....19 year old male, from Ecuador. He was the first person I met at the Ronald McDonald House. 19 year old college student here from another country, without his family, to have surgery on his eye that was missing. He can't drive, or ride a motorcycle, or do everything a normal teenage boy would do at his age. Sad, right? It's sad if you didn't know Tebo. I spent 2 weeks with this amazing, smart, confident young man and I forgot that he was missing an eye. Never once did he ever exude anything but confidence. His personality made you not see that there was something was physically wrong with him. In fact, if I was 20 I would probably have a crush on this kid. Super funny, super smart, and his attitude just made you look past something that could be depressing. He changed me.
Tina and Joe- Vegas Marathon 2009, Tina was wearing a wedding veil and got married to Joe at Mile Marker 5. These 2 people ran through mile market 5, said their vows, got married, and still beat me to the finish line!
Mary- Disney Marathon, 2009, had a prosthetic limb
Sarah- ran for her Uncle Jack who past away from Cancer
Melissa, Kendra, Cassandra- Disney Marathon, all breast cancer survivors
Sally- Miami Marathon, ran with a cane, ran with a limp, and still crossed the finish line
Ryan- Ran for his Dad who passed away
Kelly-ran for her mom who passed away
Cindy-First Time Marathoner
Mark- Ran to support his girlfriend
Jessica- wants to break 4 hours
Mindy- First time running in a tutu
Me: I just want to run to continue to be inspired and hopefully inspire someone else if they read the pages my in my book.
Marathons don't have to be your "thing" they just happen to be mine. I enjoy reading everyone's story throughout the race. If you can today, just smile at a stranger, hug your kid and tell them how much you love them, and call your parents, because they are part the pages that help create your book. Don't judge the man asking you for a quarter on the side of the street, or the the man that comes into the store with holes in his shirt, or the rich lady with her Gucci Bag, or the overweight person walking down the street, just remember that each person has a story behind them.
As I approach the starting line on Sunday I will be excited to start reading the greatest stories ever told. No matter what the stories are, ultimately there is one common theme "The Celebration of Life"...Now I ask you, "What's Your Story"???.....
