Dreams are not meant to come easy; there is a reason why most people only reach them when their eyes are closed. But then there are those few people who have a burning desire that is ever-present within their souls to keep going, no matter the circumstances. To achieve a dream takes more than hard work and dedication; it takes a certain amount of tenacity and stubborness. To achieve a dream requires a person who is incapable of accepting failure as an option.
For the past 6 months, I have been trying to balance out the conflicting emotions that come with wanting to train like a madwoman and realizing that I need to let my body heal from the biggest injury I have ever had. While I am still not 100% healthy, my coach has been putting the puzzle pieces together to create a training plan that works for what my body is currently capable of handling. The elliptiGO has remained my constant companion since my mileage is still very low; in fact it is the lowest it has been since high school. There are many times when I look at my current mileage of 30-40 miles a week and wonder if I will ever get back to the 80 mile weeks I was doing pre-injury. However, with the combination of the elliptiGO, strength-training, drills, and the running that I am able to do, I finally feel like I am gaining back my fitness. This past Thursday was my first real test; I was finally able to lace up my racing flats and toe the starting line.
The fact that my first race back fell on Thanksgiving helped to ease the nerves that inevitably come with racing. I wasn’t tapering so it eliminated the pressure of hitting a specific goal time. I got to warm-up with my family and was surrounded by runners who I grew up running with. The Tallahassee Turkey Trot is one of my favorite races of the year and it was refreshing to be back on my home turf amidst my favorite running community in the world. I was so thankful to be able to do what I love with the ones I loved most around me.
The gun went off and everything else faded away. I don’t remember much of the 10K race. What I do remember is the feeling of the light rain hitting my skin, the aching legs as I pushed up the last hill, and the burning of my lungs in that last homestretch. I crossed the line and the first thought that came to my mind was ‘grateful.’ I was grateful for so many things – being done being one of them :). I was running. I was racing. I had won. I was with my loved ones. This simple, local Turkey Trot helped me realize I have so much more to give. The fire inside me is burning bright and I can’t wait to lace up my shoes again. This whole experience has been a constant reminder that anything worth fighting for will not be easy. It will take a lot of time and patience, incessant hard work and perseverance, and a relentless determination to simply keep going. But keep going I will. We must keep fighting, keep chasing, and keep striving forward in the direction of our dreams.
1st Place 38:03
