Saturday, August 28, 2010

Marathoning to Mommyhood

It wasn't until my cousin Chris asked me: "Is it weird not training for a marathon this summer?" that reality sunk in. Life has changed. Not that it will but that it has.

Austin and I were thrilled to find out in May that we would be expecting our first little one in January of 2011. I was even more thrilled to find out that, God-willing, we are scheduled to received this precious gift exactly a week after I turn 30 - how great is that?! Our focus immediately turned to excitement, doctor's appointments, and telling our family and friends. But when Chris asked me that very simple yet very critical question, my heart skipped a beat.

For the last four years I've trained for a marathon. The last four summer and fall seasons I've pushed my limits, sweat my tail off and tried my hand at 26.2 miles, crossing the finish line three out of the four years. Now I was almost half way through July (what would be a quarter of the way through my training program) and I hadn't thought about how much I missed training once. - Yes, I said "missed" the grueling training. I realize I'm a sick, sick person.

It's not that I haven't run since we found out or that I won't run a marathon again, it's that my focus has completely shifted without me even realizing it. Life has changed. This baby reminds me daily that I currently have limits. Sharing my body with someone else, I don't make a move a without knowing that it will have consequences.

So to answer the question: not training for a marathon this year is a little weird but I'm training for something else at the moment and I like it. I actually love it and can't wait to cross this finish line so I actually start the real race.