Optimism Confirmed
Last weekend I finally got a GPS watch, the Garmin Forerunner 10. It's a brand new, low price point GPS for runners and walkers to track their every move. I have been running at the local dog park for months, training for two half marathons, one of which I completed in California last month, the next which I complete in 3 weeks in Memphis for St. Judes. My general pace is around a 10 minute mile so I've been gauging my distance based on my pace at the dog park. As it turns out, the route I thought was 10.5 miles is only 9 miles. Someone said to me, were you totally deflated? No, not at all. I thought it was hilarious. Yet another sign in life that confirms I'm an optimist! Considering I ran the half marathon in California in 2 hours and 32 minutes and 1.4 miles of it was straight uphill, I think my training has been going pretty well.
The next marathon is to raise money for the kids at St. Judes hospital. Time doesn't matter. Running doesn't matter. Helping those kids with cancer matters. I'm honored to have the opportunity to be a St. Jude's Hero as they call us. We are able to tour the hospital the day before and I'm humbled to be able to see first hand what all the training has been for. I'd asked the volunteer coordinator if we could have the kids sign the shirts they gave us to run in, and the answer was no because there were hundreds of people touring. I told my husband this and just smiled. He laughed and said something to the effect of, you've already found a way around that haven't you? I'm going to call the hospital directly and see if one of the volunteers would get our shirts signed throughout the day by the real heroes, and we could pick them up when we show up to the tour. HA HA HA. Wish me luck. I would love nothing more than to be running with those kids signatures all over my shirt.
The other thing I've been noticing during this time of training is how much I enjoy the "anticipation" of things. The planning, the getting closer to, the talking about the story. All amazing moments in life, not to be stepped over. Each text I get from my best friend about the count down to our trip makes me smile and well with pride that I'm traveling several states away, and running 13.1 miles for a bunch of kids I don't know directly.
So, I wonder:
Where in your life are you optimistic? Where do you have the opportunity to be more optimistic?
Where in your life do you have moments you are stepping over?