Finding Motivation

So for approximately the last six weeks I've been training for the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon in January of 2013.

Am I insane?
Maybe.

Am I determined?
Yes.

The idea popped into my head when my mother and I visited Disney World during this years marathon. I saw tons of people with a huge golden colored medallion around their neck. People would high-five them left and right and even the pilot on our flight home congratulated them all over the loud speaker.

I suddenly had this over-whelming desire for one of those silly medals. I wanted those high-fives and hugs from strangers. I wanted the cheers and recognition all for myself. I wanted the attention. For the first time in my life, this quiet and reclusive girl wanted EVERY eye on her. For all the right reasons of course. I then decided that next year, those congratulations would be mine. All I had to do was run 13.1 miles.

At that time a mile seemed like a marathon itself. Day by day and week by week I'm finally beginning to see myself be able to run farther and faster and i couldn't be more excited about it.

Living off of the W&OD trail makes for easy and scenic runs. I enjoy seeing the different people out and about and wonder how far they've run today and how much further they'll go. I've watched the flowers start to bloom and trees begin to fill in with large green leaves. I've seen super star runners speed past me and elderly walkers smile and nod as they go on their way.

But today I saw something that will stick with me for a while. There's a small park just off of the trail and today I came across a man in a wheelchair. Paralyzed from the waist down, he was there pushing his baby girl on a swing. That was my motivation for today. If he can get up every day and be there for his little girl, I can run just a little farther and I won't complain about the pain. 1.6 miles down.

As I turned around to come back home, he was chasing her around the playground. Rock on Daddy.

Today's running itinerary was as follows: *All runs include 5 minute warm-up and cool-down*

• 1.5 minute run
• 1.5 minute walk
• 2.5 minute run
• 2.5 minute walk
• 2.5 minute run
• 2.5 minute walk
• 1.5 minute run
• 1.5 minute walk 

What was your motivation today?