Inspiration is Everywhere

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. -John Quincy Adams

Often times, we find inspiration from the strangest and most unexpected people and places.  In my particular case, I found it from the people that I have possibly inspired.  I don’t mean for that to sound a little self centered or arrogant but the bottom line is that they have inspired me and I’m appreciative.

When I was in my marathon training mode and even after I finished my first and second marathons, people were constantly asking me questions about the marathon. 

Showing Off My Medal!

26.2 miles sounded awfully far to a lot people.  Suddenly, I became a running expert and people were asking me all kinds of questions about training, nutrition, running logs, maximum heart rates, aches, pains, and upcoming running events that we could run together.  Their interest in my running and training was inspiring me and I could not get enough.  I wanted to prove to everyone that I could do it.  Little did I know that I was inspiring some of them too.

After I ran my second marathon, a friend of mine, Steve Bailey was one of these guys asking a lot of questions.  He was determined to run a marathon and wanted me to train with him.  Excitedly, I agreed and we embarked on our training.

We registered for the Walt Disney Marathon and we had many training runs together.  However, we were doing really well together until I hit the wall. 

Steve & Will

 In the Fall of 2009, my life was in a whirlwind and I was being pulled in too many directions.  Many times, I wanted to call Steve and tell him, “Dude, I’m sorry but I can’t do it.”  I could not do that Steve and I knew that he was eagerly awaiting this trip.  I hit some of my life’s darkest hours in late 2009 but I perservered.  Needless to say, I completed my third marathon in January 2010 but it took me 1 hour longer to run it this time.  I even had to walk, at least, 2-3 miles of the marathon, but I completed it nonetheless, and  I got the shirt and medal!

Once that marathon was completed, I was done.  I checked out of running.  With the banking industry in a depression and my employer on the brink of insolvency, I hit rock bottom.  Things were not going my way in my personal and professional life.  When people asked if I was still running and I told them no, I could see the look of disappointment on their faces.

Suddenly inspiration game from a lot people that I never suspected.

Angela

1) Angela Uphold. She is a co-worker and a beginning runner.  Recently, she was asking me all kinds of questions about running.  She won’t believe it, but her questions about running inspired me to start my marathon training again.

2) Josh Hart.  Josh is a runner but has taken some time off until he decided to train for the Walt Disney World Marathon.  I wonder where he got that idea?  Hmmm.  Let me think.  I’m just kidding! 

Josh (Far Right)

I’m sure Josh was inspired from other places, but he was recently asking me about long runs and how to overcome leg pain during long runs (some runners call this dead legs). Josh inspired me to run again because I wanted to run the Disney Marathon with him in January. 

3) Heather Stribling.  Heather and I have not talked in a while about her running, but she is a distance runner and likes to share some of her funny experiences while running on Facebook. 

Heather

She registered for the Walt Disney World Marathon but was unable to run it this year.  I know she will complete one soon.  She loves to run half marathons and is pretty good at it too.  I’m always inspired by her witty humor.

4) Marathon Sweetheart, Brittny Cantero is a 22-year old Texas A&M student, and is running her first marathon tomorrow morning (Metro PCS Dallas White Rock Marathon). 

Brittny Cantero

Marathon Sweetheart is the name of her blog.  Here is the link:  http://marathonsweetheart.com/. I have been following her blog and I know what she is feeling in anticipation of her first marathon.  I want that feeling back again and she has inspired me to train once again.  Good luck Brittny. 

There have been other people that have inspired me as well.  I will follow-up with more stories about them in future blogs.

Week two of my training is in the books.  This week was 15 miles of running (4-4-4-3).  I feel pretty good and my legs are holding up.  My weight has stayed about the same, and that is expected for a few weeks anyway (my body is in shock because I’ve started running again and I’ve cut back on some calories by making better food choices.  I believe it is storing more fat).  I know once some of the weight is gone, my  back, legs, knees, and arches will start feeling alot better.  The less weight you have, obviously, the less stress and pressure on these important bodily parts.

Hey, it’s time for you to get out and start walking and running.  The experts say that the average person gains 10 pounds from Thanksgiving Day to New Years Day.  Yikes!  Wallace Irwin said, “Statistics show that of those who contract the habit of eating, very few survive.”