There comes a time when you just have to accept what’s happening around you. That’s what I have been doing. We are just 40 days away from the Columbus Marathon & 1/2 marathon. 40 days until I have to walk 13.1 miles! Yikes. I am scared. But, it’s been an interesting journey so far.

I have accepted the fact that I can’t train as much. The last time I did this I was able to train about 5-6 times a week. So far (if I am lucky) I walk twice during the week and do my long walk on the weekends. I do most of my walking at Hilliard’s Rails to Trails with a great group of friends. It’s beautiful and flat and I think it’s the kind of trail that builds up speed.

I have accepted the fact that I need some other form of motivation. I have become quickly bored with walking, so I needed to do some other form of exercise to help me along. So, I started doing Zumba! I am taking my classes at the Pai Fitness and Yoga studios in Dublin. It’s so much fun, and doesn’t even feel like a workout. I am not coordinated and I can’t dance to save my life, but I am hoping it helps build up my endurance.

I have accepted the fact that I now have big feet. I went to Columbus Running Company and saw Levi. He was great! Even though he measured my feet and promptly broke the news that I was a 9 ½. Let’s just say I freaked out. I have always been a size 8. Nope, he said “sorry you are a 9 ½. I am quite sure my gasps of shock were annoying to the other customers. I demanded he still bring me an 8 and even though he kept shaking his head and saying “I see this all the time from women who just had babies.” Anyway, I figured I put up a good enough fight and finally let him put me into a heavenly pair of Mizuno running shoes. So far I think they are the best shoes ever.

I have accepted the fact that I am slower. Sadly due to my limited training schedule I am only averaging about a 14 minute mile. I was hoping to get faster this time around, not slower.

So I have accepted the fact that I am older, I can’t train as much, I am slower and have bigger feet and I need more motivation. But I have come to realize these are not bad things. This is just the way it is now. That’s why I have come to this place of acceptance. I am DOING THIS, I might crawl across the finish line, but so what?-I will finish. And I am probably not going to beat my last time, and guess what?, that’s ok too. And so what if I have had a love/hate relationship with training this time around but I still keep at it.

I can see the finish line, I am almost there and I can’t wait to cross it with my size 9 ½ feet.