My race

Wow, I missed another day. It just goes to show how scatter brained I really am right now. I've been thinking about something lately.

An analogy.

It all started when my friend, who I hadn't seen in a while, stopped by for a visit. She was telling me about how she was deciding to have another kid, but her husband was just starting medical school and she already has 4 kids and how she was hoping to run another marathon this summer. It sounded overwhelming. Oh, and did I mention she lives in a little basement and is planning on it for the duration of medical school?

To her it was a means to an end. A temporary situation with the finish line firmly planted. It got me thinking about why I felt so overwhelmed with my situation. I don't have 4 kids, I'm not sending my husband back to school and my home, though small, isn't the end of the world.

It's the mentality.

My friend is preparing for a marathon (figuratively). She knows that it's going to be a long and hard race. It will stretch her to the limits and may even hurt a bit. It's way longer than a 5K but mentally she's preparing herself for it. She's going to make it. She's going to set her mind on the finish line and keep running till she gets there. Though the finish line is way out of sight, she knows where it is and what it takes to get there.

I set out on my race thinking it was a sprint. Imagine planning on a 5K, or even a 10K and then as the race is moving along, you pass the 6 mile mark and the end is still not in sight. Someone comes along and tells you there is a finish line out there, but they don't really know where it is and just keep running. Maybe my race is a half marathon and my friend's is a marathon. Some would say her race is harder. I'm not convinced. It's a mental game, and I'm trying to learn to play it. I'm trying to learn to just keep running and not think about the end. It's easier when you know how far you have to go. I guess this is my test. My test of mental toughness. I am enjoying the race and I have some great cheerleaders along the way, but sometimes I'm just tired and want to cross the finish line..... wherever it is.