Pain is temporary...

Unbreakable. Resilient. A Badass. Those things could describe me, but really I'm just me :) I'm a gridiron girl gone runner. I'm a girl on an adventure discovering who she is and what she is made of in a land far, far away. I'm a girl, like many others, who has recently been disappointed by people who aren't supposed to disappoint you. I'm a lucky girl who has other people in her life who have stood their ground, continually offering comfort, support, encouragement, and reminding me of the Badass that I am :) Even being 47.5 marathons away, YOU ( you know who you are) are still by my side...Imagine that!

The above mentioned is what fueled my slightly injured body through 20 grueling miles this morning! Not having ran all week because of my foot, anticipation and nerves were at an all time high as I rolled out of bed at 330am. I needed plenty of time to tend to my foot. After seeing some progress yesterday, I was disappointed to feel the pain in my foot return as I took my first step. Listening to all the advice I had received, I made sure to stretch and massage my leg. Amazingly enough, it was having the anterior part of my leg massaged yesterday that relieved a lot of the pain. After only feeling a little relief, I popped some ibuprofen, laced up my Mizunos (we will have a discussion about these particular shoes later- I think they are a cause of my foot problem), shoved my PB& J into its snug little pocket of my Prolong filled bottle, and hit the long lost pavement.

20 miles covers a lot of ground if you were not aware. The route this morning took me to places I haven't traveled yet. Although it was new and unseen territory, it was not aesthetically pleasing. So I put blinders on and focused on the pain. Pain of running and the pain of life. Today, I wanted to feel it, savor it, and use it as my driving force. When my foot began to hurt more and my legs were heavy and on fire, I told myself that the pain was nothing. I had endured much more than that on this adventure. The mind is an amazing thing. It can hinder you, freeze you in place, or it can make you feel like you can conquer the world. Its really up to you as to how you will let it affect you. Mind over matter, right?

I completed the 20 miles- the most I have ever ran in my life. It was a challenge. In less than three weeks, I will run head first (without a helmet, I might add) into the biggest physical and mental challenge I've had to face. But that's what I set out to do! I've lost a little blood. Sweated more than I can even fathom. And cried only a FEW tears ;) I know there will be more of this come October 15th, but I welcome ever inch of that challenge.

...Pride is forever.

NOTES of the DAY:

*Temperature: 70 degress

*Song of the Day: "Hustle Hard" by Ace Hood

*Tip of the Day: Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must; never give up.

*Quote of the Day: "There is no star for completion. Even a task well done or a milestone met is not a conclusion; it is simply a transition to a new beginning." - Kristen Armstrong