It is race week and I am starting to feel pre-race nerves sneak up on me. I will be running my fourth marathon on Sunday in Cincinnati at The Flying Pig and there is a lot going through my mind.

Expectations

Throughout my training process, I decided to go in with little to no expectations. I was sidelined with an injury for the first three months of the year and found myself nowhere close to where I wanted to be in my training. And despite all of that, I now find myself ready to run. As the saying goes, “the comeback is always stronger than the setback”.

Inspiration

For starters, did we all watch Desiree Linden win the Boston Marathon?! If you didn’t, please catch up from Runner’s World and get ready to be inspired from her displays of sportsmanship to courage and pure grit. The Boston Marathon this past year was a tough one and I was so inspired by every runner and volunteer out there on the course. My course on Sunday will be hilly but I am ready to embrace and overcome the challenge presented to me.

Friends

I received a very comforting reminder this morning from my friend, Randy. I’m doing this with people who bring out the best in me. Our group of five will be running together as Randy chases his goal of a sub 4 hour marathon and I am so excited to be a part of it.