Aleks' Inspiration
Named after the word document which lists all of the encouraging words my friends left for me today, "Aleks' Inspiration" kept me moving when all I wanted to do was stop.
Mile 6:
Knock-Knock jokes: Pat – Pat me on the back, I’m running a marathon! Kenya – Kenya believe I’m running a marathon?- Jessica
Mile 7:
At Rex Kwan Do, we use the buddy system! No more flying solo! - Jessica
Mile 8: Why are gorilla's nostrils so big? Because they have big fingers! - Sarah
Mile 9: I'll be thinking of you as I run, inspired by your commitment to 26+ miles. You're getting me through my 13.1 and I hope that knowing how hard the Princesses are are rooting for you is helping you get through your 26.2." – Nancy
Mile 10: “The wind at your back, the sun in front of you, and your friends by your side.”
You have 9 or 10 miles under your belt. Settle into your pace and enjoy the miles, the company, and keep pushing along. - Latosha
Mile 11:
Having not known you for very long, you've packed quite a punch so far. You are so awesome and inspiring, knowing you came from where I am now, and seeing where you've taken yourself. Getting to know you these past few months has been so great and I can't wait to hang out with you more (even at 5:15 a.m.). Your journey helps me acheive my goal of finishing the half marathon and finishing the full one next year. You're doing awesome and you ARE AWESOME! - Sarah
Mile 12:
I keep this pass-it-on card in my wallet and try to keep the message close to me: "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you."
Have faith Aleks- in yourself, your training, your friends. There are people all over the world cheering for you today!Have fun, run strong! – Kate
Mile 13: It’s mile 13 and you’re 50% done. But you’re still 100% Canadian. Take off, hoser! - John
Mile 14:
Dear Aleks,I am sitting here trying to come up with something interesting, or at the very least amusing, to help you get through 26.2 miles of running.Something that would either enlighten or otherwise inspire you to continue on this journey today. Something that would make you think of yourself or the world in a slightly different way. At the very least something that would distract you. Hmmmmmm. I got nothin'. Sheet.Okay, so hear's what I would do if I were in your position: use the tools at hand. Eat all the food you're supposed to eat. Drink your water. Give yourself pep talks. Then, when things are at their direst, turn to that short brunnette running next to you and ask her for a "Pep" talk. Seriously.Don't give me that raised eyebrow. Hear me out. I've put a lot of thought into this.See, I know she thinks she has a reputation for pissing people off with her "Pep" talks. Balderdash in my opinion, but if you think about it, this is a Win-Win situation! There's only two things that could happen:Scenario A: She peps you up. Your adrenaline kicks in. You run faster. You bust through your marathon and kick it through the finish line with minutes to spare. You love Jessica! You swear to buy her a big Christmas present! She accepts, but swears you'll get a bigger one! A Win-Win situation!Scenario B: She pisses you off. Your adrenaline kicks in. You run faster to get away from her. You make it up that nasty hill and feel fabulous! So fabulous that you feel guilty about wanting to pull her hair and gouge out an eye or two. You love Jessica! You swear to buy her a big Christmas present. She accepts and swears to buy you an even bigger Christmas present! You do this over and over again, at each hill, and by the end of the marathon you're both buying each other pink Mercedes with sun-roofs! A Win-Win!See? No downside. Unless it's possibly the pink mercedes with the sun-roofs. I hear they're a bitch for upkeep. Lucky for you, you know a good mechanic! :)See you at the finish line! - Regan
Mile 15: Knock-knock joke: Icy – Icy no reason you won’t finish this marathon. - Jessica
Mile 16:
I’m so proud of you! Keep up all of the good work, I know you can do it. You are a strong woman and despite the fact that T-man makes you weak, you can do anything. - Kristina
Mile 17:
Are you enjoying your marathon? I sure hope so. You have trained so hard to get where you are!
Today, you will complete a journey that few people will ever dare to begin. You will enter an elite group of people that can look at their To-Do List of Life and check off the line: “Complete a marathon someday”. Yes, Alecks! Your “Someday” is today! Congratulate yourself for having that rare breath of courage in your heart to speak the words aloud, “I am going to complete a marathon.” Congratulate yourself for being so bold as to dare to dream that you too, could cross that finish line, no matter what! Take a look around you: all the people cheering you on the sidelines are watching you live out their hopes and dreams. They are cheering you because what you are accomplishing today is truly amazing! Smile at them, wave to them, and inspire them to be as brave as you are. Inspire them to speak the words, “I can do this!” That they might too be so bold as to imagine one day that they might overcome fear, overcome doubt and overcome pain, to arrive one step closer to being the very best person they can imagine being. Congratulations, Alecks. I am so very proud of you, and I am so very proud to be your friend. Love, Danielle
Mile 18:
Dear Aleks:
OK. Now you've gotten pretty far into the race. And I hope it's going really really well.
Remember - you've trained really hard for this - in rain, sun, monsoons, and everything in between.
Today you should run the race you can - run the best you can do today.
You've had the good fortune to train with a great group of women - all of whom are here supporting you today.
Draw on that experience if the going gets tough. You've helped all of us in our training and this is our time to give back to you. I remember the long run to the ProClub and back when you said you weren't feeling so well at the end - but to me you looked SO STRONG. You have that type of spirit - you can do this.
Enjoy today - it's your first marathon and you won't have another first one.
Enjoy the accomplishment. Only a small fraction of people can say they've been able to do this.
Finish strong.
Brunch and lots of good wishes are waiting for you at the end. We don't care about your finish time. We're proud of you for having the courage to take this on - and to succeed.
I'm glad we met and were able to become friends during all the hours of training that led up to this day. Hopefully there will be many more runs to come.
Congrats! -- Wendy
Mile 19:Just wanted to throw in my words of encouragement. You can definitely do this - I've been reading your blog since I met you at Danskin, and I know how hard you've trained and how strong you are. I can't wait to read all about your success. In the words of the overly cheerful but still inspiring Sally Edwards: YOU GO GIRL! :) – Jessi
Mile 20: Mile 20 in Boston is Heartbreak Hill. Keep kickin' ass for the East Coast! - Fritz
Mile 21: "Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson
Wow, the hard part is over now. Less than an hour of running to go and you have continued to push along. Keep looking fabulous and remember to keep a smile on your face because you’ll persevere. The finish line is around the corner. - Latosha
Mile 22: Aleks - you can do it :-) It doesn't matter how long or how short the run - the fact that you're out here running is what counts. YOU ARE A RUNNER!" - Nancy
Mile 23: Hey cool chicka! You are living our dream. Be strong. Finish strong!Know our thoughts and strength are with you till the end. - Wes
Mile 24:
"Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." - Steve Prefontaine
"It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse." - Ann Trason (courtesy of Latosha)
Mile 6:
Knock-Knock jokes: Pat – Pat me on the back, I’m running a marathon! Kenya – Kenya believe I’m running a marathon?- Jessica
Mile 7:
At Rex Kwan Do, we use the buddy system! No more flying solo! - Jessica
Mile 8: Why are gorilla's nostrils so big? Because they have big fingers! - Sarah
Mile 9: I'll be thinking of you as I run, inspired by your commitment to 26+ miles. You're getting me through my 13.1 and I hope that knowing how hard the Princesses are are rooting for you is helping you get through your 26.2." – Nancy
Mile 10: “The wind at your back, the sun in front of you, and your friends by your side.”
You have 9 or 10 miles under your belt. Settle into your pace and enjoy the miles, the company, and keep pushing along. - Latosha
Mile 11:
Having not known you for very long, you've packed quite a punch so far. You are so awesome and inspiring, knowing you came from where I am now, and seeing where you've taken yourself. Getting to know you these past few months has been so great and I can't wait to hang out with you more (even at 5:15 a.m.). Your journey helps me acheive my goal of finishing the half marathon and finishing the full one next year. You're doing awesome and you ARE AWESOME! - Sarah
Mile 12:
I keep this pass-it-on card in my wallet and try to keep the message close to me: "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you."
Have faith Aleks- in yourself, your training, your friends. There are people all over the world cheering for you today!Have fun, run strong! – Kate
Mile 13: It’s mile 13 and you’re 50% done. But you’re still 100% Canadian. Take off, hoser! - John
Mile 14:
Dear Aleks,I am sitting here trying to come up with something interesting, or at the very least amusing, to help you get through 26.2 miles of running.Something that would either enlighten or otherwise inspire you to continue on this journey today. Something that would make you think of yourself or the world in a slightly different way. At the very least something that would distract you. Hmmmmmm. I got nothin'. Sheet.Okay, so hear's what I would do if I were in your position: use the tools at hand. Eat all the food you're supposed to eat. Drink your water. Give yourself pep talks. Then, when things are at their direst, turn to that short brunnette running next to you and ask her for a "Pep" talk. Seriously.Don't give me that raised eyebrow. Hear me out. I've put a lot of thought into this.See, I know she thinks she has a reputation for pissing people off with her "Pep" talks. Balderdash in my opinion, but if you think about it, this is a Win-Win situation! There's only two things that could happen:Scenario A: She peps you up. Your adrenaline kicks in. You run faster. You bust through your marathon and kick it through the finish line with minutes to spare. You love Jessica! You swear to buy her a big Christmas present! She accepts, but swears you'll get a bigger one! A Win-Win situation!Scenario B: She pisses you off. Your adrenaline kicks in. You run faster to get away from her. You make it up that nasty hill and feel fabulous! So fabulous that you feel guilty about wanting to pull her hair and gouge out an eye or two. You love Jessica! You swear to buy her a big Christmas present. She accepts and swears to buy you an even bigger Christmas present! You do this over and over again, at each hill, and by the end of the marathon you're both buying each other pink Mercedes with sun-roofs! A Win-Win!See? No downside. Unless it's possibly the pink mercedes with the sun-roofs. I hear they're a bitch for upkeep. Lucky for you, you know a good mechanic! :)See you at the finish line! - Regan
Mile 15: Knock-knock joke: Icy – Icy no reason you won’t finish this marathon. - Jessica
Mile 16:
I’m so proud of you! Keep up all of the good work, I know you can do it. You are a strong woman and despite the fact that T-man makes you weak, you can do anything. - Kristina
Mile 17:
Are you enjoying your marathon? I sure hope so. You have trained so hard to get where you are!
Today, you will complete a journey that few people will ever dare to begin. You will enter an elite group of people that can look at their To-Do List of Life and check off the line: “Complete a marathon someday”. Yes, Alecks! Your “Someday” is today! Congratulate yourself for having that rare breath of courage in your heart to speak the words aloud, “I am going to complete a marathon.” Congratulate yourself for being so bold as to dare to dream that you too, could cross that finish line, no matter what! Take a look around you: all the people cheering you on the sidelines are watching you live out their hopes and dreams. They are cheering you because what you are accomplishing today is truly amazing! Smile at them, wave to them, and inspire them to be as brave as you are. Inspire them to speak the words, “I can do this!” That they might too be so bold as to imagine one day that they might overcome fear, overcome doubt and overcome pain, to arrive one step closer to being the very best person they can imagine being. Congratulations, Alecks. I am so very proud of you, and I am so very proud to be your friend. Love, Danielle
Mile 18:
Dear Aleks:
OK. Now you've gotten pretty far into the race. And I hope it's going really really well.
Remember - you've trained really hard for this - in rain, sun, monsoons, and everything in between.
Today you should run the race you can - run the best you can do today.
You've had the good fortune to train with a great group of women - all of whom are here supporting you today.
Draw on that experience if the going gets tough. You've helped all of us in our training and this is our time to give back to you. I remember the long run to the ProClub and back when you said you weren't feeling so well at the end - but to me you looked SO STRONG. You have that type of spirit - you can do this.
Enjoy today - it's your first marathon and you won't have another first one.
Enjoy the accomplishment. Only a small fraction of people can say they've been able to do this.
Finish strong.
Brunch and lots of good wishes are waiting for you at the end. We don't care about your finish time. We're proud of you for having the courage to take this on - and to succeed.
I'm glad we met and were able to become friends during all the hours of training that led up to this day. Hopefully there will be many more runs to come.
Congrats! -- Wendy
Mile 19:Just wanted to throw in my words of encouragement. You can definitely do this - I've been reading your blog since I met you at Danskin, and I know how hard you've trained and how strong you are. I can't wait to read all about your success. In the words of the overly cheerful but still inspiring Sally Edwards: YOU GO GIRL! :) – Jessi
Mile 20: Mile 20 in Boston is Heartbreak Hill. Keep kickin' ass for the East Coast! - Fritz
Mile 21: "Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson
Wow, the hard part is over now. Less than an hour of running to go and you have continued to push along. Keep looking fabulous and remember to keep a smile on your face because you’ll persevere. The finish line is around the corner. - Latosha
Mile 22: Aleks - you can do it :-) It doesn't matter how long or how short the run - the fact that you're out here running is what counts. YOU ARE A RUNNER!" - Nancy
Mile 23: Hey cool chicka! You are living our dream. Be strong. Finish strong!Know our thoughts and strength are with you till the end. - Wes
Mile 24:
"Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." - Steve Prefontaine
"It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse." - Ann Trason (courtesy of Latosha)
posted by Aleks @ 8:02 PM
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