Anietra Hamper, morning news anchor, 10TV
Running a marathon has been on my life bucket list since I participated in the relay several years ago and caught the bug! In 2005 I made a commitment to train for the whole marathon. I do not consider myself a natural runner so this decision was a huge commitment in my life. Carving out time for training during the week, being diligent with my eating habits to fuel my body for training and passing up those Friday night cocktails to ensure a great long-run on Saturday mornings were all things that imposed big changes in my life. After months of training, I injured my Achilles on my left foot. I kept running not knowing the severity of the injury and before I knew it I couldn’t even walk. I wore a stability boot for weeks and despite my greatest intentions to still run the marathon— it didn’t happen. It was months before I could walk or work out again and more than a year before I could even attempt a short run. Last year I ran the half marathon with a goal to simply finish injury-free. I did it. When spring hit this year, I wondered if this would be the year I cross that marathon milestone off my list. I am 3 weeks into training. So far, so good. I am quickly reminded of the major time commitment involved for runs during the week. Since my work schedule requires me to get up at 2a.m. I literally have to schedule my runs like an appointment in the day to make sure I stick to my schedule. Some days, life gets in the way, but I have given myself permission for flexibility. When that happens, I re-arrange the rest of the week so I can at least be close to my target for miles. I make long-runs on Saturdays when I can carve out a chunk of time. I get up at 5:30am on Saturdays to make this the first thing I do in the day and it feels great! I still wonder if I have the time to make this commitment to the marathon. What keeps me going is the feeling of making a goal that you think it too high to reach— and then logging an incredible journey getting there. For those who say “I could never do that.” You are the only person standing in your way. If it were easy EVERYONE would do it. I look forward to the challenge of sticking to my weekly goals and taking all precautions to remain injury-free. I look forward to feeling great because I’m working hard and eating well (yes, I do indulge in the occasional fabulous dessert!!). And, I look forward to that incredible sense of accomplishment in October! On your mark…get set….GO!!!