Where Is My Motivation?

Yesterday, I wrote about participating in the Glass City 5k. This race is full of all types of people, from runners hoping to break a personal record to causal walkers and everyone in between.

Among the large group of participants are new runners. Some may have started as a New Year's Resolution and this may have been their first race. A 5k is a relatively short distance and a good distance to start with as a first race.

We came across a girl early on the course, who was a bigger girl. When we first saw her, she was walking. We passed her, but then she started to run and passed us. This went back and forth throughout the race. When she stopped her running spurts, she was breathing heavily. But she was obviously doing the best she could. She did end up crossing the finish line before us.

I have to give her a lot of credit. I don't know when or why she started to work toward this particular goal. Maybe it was to lose weight or just get healthier. She was doing something to better herself. She was working towards a goal. I don't know if she was happy with her time or just glad to have finished. She had obviously put in time and effort to participate.

I need to lose weight. It is something I have struggled with for a long time. I joined a gym at the end of February and I have only gone once. And that was only because I had a free training session. I have no motivation. It can't be because I want to run a race. I have to want to do it for myself. My family has a history of heart disease, so I have a legitimate reason to be healthy. Because my genetics are not going to be in my favor.

So what do I have to do to make my dreams a reality? I need the same determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort that every athlete needs to accomplish their dreams and goals. Even though I don't know the name of the girl that was running, she was an inspiration.

Running the Glass City

Glass City Marathon weekend has become a tradition in our family. Several years ago, my brother started coming home to run the half marathon because a few of his friends were also running. It became a family thing because there is a 5k and that is more along the lines of something I could do...walking, not running. Thankfully, this weekend was clear and sunny, but cold. Last year was cold and raining and miserable.

This year, we had 2 new family members join the fun. My sister-in-law, Katie, participated in the 5k. And along with her, my niece, Brynley, was along for the ride.

As usual, we were running a little late, but we did get to see the marathoners and half marathoners begin their journey. This year, two firefighter ran the full marathon in full gear in honor of 2 fallen Toledo firefighters who lost their lives earlier this year. We saw one, but I wasn't quick enough to get a picture.

Because we were late, we also got to see the majority of the 5k runners/walkers start the race. We had to walk to the start line, cross it the wrong way, so we could cross it the right way and start the race. We were casual participants so we weren't looking to run or break any kind of record.

Part of the race goes through an area of Toledo called Old Orchard. It is full of beautiful homes. Most are brick, and I love the old stately charm of them. People stand in the yards and dogs bark as all these people go through the neighborhood.

This woman was holding a fun sign. I hit the sign to get my power, but I am not sure if it worked or not. I didn't have sudden strength to run the race. :)

I was really hoping we had made into the second mile by the time this banner came into view. But even still, the finish line was closer than the start line.

Miss Brynley got a little fussy around the mile 2 mark so Katie held her the rest of the race. She said she has been training to be able to hold her so long for about 8 months.

We made it to the finish line with under an hour on the clock time. Not too shabby for not training and making several stops along the way. Now we had to wait for the rest of the crew to finish their races.

My brother's friend, Chris, was hoping to beat the 1:30 mark. He was so close! Maybe it is my cheerleader past, but I love being able to cheer them on.

The happy family after my brother, Tim, finished his race. He finished in under 1:45. We are really proud of him!

Somewhere deep down inside, there is an inkling of a desire to run an half marathon. Maybe it is because I see the look of pride when people finish something they worked so hard to train for. I have 52 weeks to get my butt in gear if I want to try it. Maybe a stop at the gym needs to make it in my schedule for tomorrow??