Monday Motivation - "Never Say Never" Victors' shared words

 Motivational words Shared by Victor Sarah Race - from PA

"Never Say Never"

"I'm coming up on my official 3rd anniversary of being a runner; three years ago this May I ran my first Broad Street Run, a 10 mile course through the heart of Philadelphia. Going into it, a friend told me "if you can run 8 miles, you can do Broad Street" so thats what I did. I started off with 3 miles at a time, then managed a few 5-6 mile runs and one or two 8 mile runs beforehand. I was so scared at the starting line, my stomach was in knots. By the time I got to mile 7 I was wondering why I ever thought I could do this in the first place. I played sports growing up and have been deemed the "athletic" sibling of the family, but run 10 miles? The second I crossed the finish line I was hooked. I couldn't believe I had done it! The following September I ran my first half marathon, the Philadelphia Distance Run and knew these two races would be a yearly thing for me. Last May while waiting in line for the bathroom at the starting line for Broad Street (my second 10 miler ever), I was talking with three friends - two had run full marathons, one was about to run her first 10 miler. Listening to their stories of how miserable miles 18-26.2 were, the pain, the cursing, I was laughing at the thought of putting my own body through such torture. I remember so clearly saying "there is no way I could ever run a marathon, adding three miles to finish a half marathon was managable, but doubling that? No way." Fast forward six months later to November 2009 when I ran my first 26.2 at the Philadelphia Marathon.

With my first race of 2010 coming up in a few weeks (the Ocean Drive 10 Miler in Cape May, NJ), I can't help but reflect on how much has changed, how much I have grown, and how my attitude has gone from "I can't" and "I'll never" to "Never say never". Life is too short to limit yourself, and as cliche as it sounds, every day that passes is a day you will never get back. My attitude towards running has turned from grinding through the miles, thinking about when I can stop, to a time when I can clear my head and eliminate all the "I can't"s that are always in the back of my mind. Running has taught me that I am one of the most stubborn, determined people I know - almost to a fault. Running has taught me that I will always be my biggest critic and to accept that even though I am a perfectionist, I am far from perfect, will never be perfect, and that is ok. Running has taught me that there are times when I have to take a deep breath and realize that life isn't perfect and some things are beyond my control. Running has taught me that a little rain, freezing temperatures, or wind is just an added bonus to make you stronger for race day. Running has taught me to relax. But most importantly, running has taught me to never stop challenging myself, because the second you do you are accepting that you can't be any better than you are today.

Now that I am beginning my journey into the world of triathlon, I have to remind myself that -yes, it is going to take a while to be able to ride efficiently, at a speed that says "triathlete" instead of "training wheels". Its going to take a while to feel confident on my bike and not scared of another crash (which I got out of the way on my first ride... granted it wasn't my fault, but still it doesn't exactly start off my triathlon career the way I envisioned). Its going to take a while to fully understand the transitions, gear, techniques and tips, but if the 115,000 members of USAT can do it, there is no reason I can't. It is frustrating, but I have to remind myself of that first Broad Street Run three years ago when I realized I really can do anything."

Never say never.
 
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