Beginning of a new season

Eighteen weeks.

Sounds like a lifetime away. Eighteen weeks from now it will be late fall, the leaves will have already gone through their season and begun to fall to the ground. A chill will be in the air. College football season will be heading into its final month of regular season, basketball will begin practice. In eighteen weeks I will end the biggest season of my life thus far. This ending will conclude with a 26.2 mile adventure, a race against time to the finish. In eighteen weeks I will officially be a MARATHONER. No more skating by with races, no more testing the water. This is it, the ultimate showdown.

I know it will be tough. There will be good days and bad days, good weeks and bad week. There will be battles between long runs or sweatpants, endurance and stamina. Countless hours will be spent pounding the pavement, just me and whatever lies ahead. I think the beginning of a new season is the most exciting; it's like the beginning of a new relationship. Everything is fresh and new, there is excitement around every corner as you discover new things and experience new feelings.

Although I've trained before, I've put time and energy, sweat and tears into new seasons this one will be different. This one will take more dedication and time, more energy, more sweat and tears and probably a little bit of blood. There will be tests and hurdles, trials and tribulations to get through. Like a new relationship, it will take time to develop into something routine and normal. I also love this part. The familiarity of routine, the comfort of it. Knowing what to expect and having a trust in it.

I know I’m ready, I feel I am. Dedication and determination are going to get me through to the finish. I want to stand there after the race, medal around my neck and bagel in hand and think about the start. The start is not mile 1 of the race. The start is eighteen weeks before……so here it is.
START