The power of motivation

I caught a great article at thefinalsprint.com about the infamous Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon. The article talked about her promoting her book Marathon Woman at this year's Boston Marathon expo. From there I went to runnersworld.com where I read a 7pg excerpt from Switzer's book. Her detailed retelling of that remarkable day gave me chills.

It started to snow again. We were all deep in thought, and my thoughts were moving all over the place. I said quietly to Arnie, "You know that guy Jock has gone up ahead and is probably arranging for one of those big Irish cops to arrest us when nobody is looking. If it happens, I am resisting arrest, okay? And something else." I turned to Arnie and looked him in the eye. "Arnie, I'm not sure where you stand in this now. But no matter what, I have to finish this race. Even if you can't, I have to--even on my hands and knees. If I don't finish, people will say women can't do it, and they will say I was just doing this for the publicity or something. So you need to do whatever you want to do, but I'm finishing."

What stunning fortitude. What courage! What a powerful story that we can all draw from in our dark moments of indecision, solicitude, fear. I feel happy with the four miles I cranked out before work this morning. This article leaves me wanting to run farther. It's not just this article either. Today I've read about a single mother of two, a below-the-knee amputee, who can run a half marathon faster than I can. I've read about the indefatigable Team Hoyt, the father who runs an 8:30 mile while pushing his son in a 27lb wheelchair.

There are so many places from which to draw inspiration. I think of my sister Martinique when Dancin' with Myself blasts into my ears 35 minutes into a six-mile run. I think of my dad and his postcards with the ever amusing "Run Forest Run". I think of my unstoppable friend Jenny churning out training runs that trump my 13 mile race goal. I run for all these people because they think I can do it. There are days I don't think I can trudge around another bend but they believe I am capable. And sometimes what other people think is what really matters.