I Am a Marathoner
By the 2007 Marathon Makeover Team
Up at dawn to beat the heat
I try to ignore the pain in my feet.
Prep for the run with a bit of stretching;
Don’t eat too much for fear of retching.
Up at four, he's out the door.
I know he wishes he could just sleep some more.
But Matt is there to help with set ups –
He promises not to forget the cups … again.
Marathon Makeover – I started from the couch,
I soon would begin to say daily, “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
How will my body know what to do
As I increase the mileage two by two?
Mark says “If the motion is forward, it’s a run.”
Surely you don’t call this torture fun?
Out before sun-up if I want to be cool,
Otherwise I’ll sweat a whole, big pool.
Labored breathing, pounding heart,
And that happens before I even start!
Some days this seems too much to bear,
The heat and humidity and wet, dripping hair.
Hydration, Hydration the ultimate rule,
I don’t even mind that I smell like a mule.
In January, 10:00 a.m. was so early!
Now that it’s June, that’s mid-day girlie!
Race ready shorts are just about right
With pockets to stash whatever I might.
But, if they’re too heavy and the crowd I do moon
I fear they’ll all be laughing, quite like a loon.
Tech clothes I wear with silver threads,
And a very cool visor sits on my head.
Just the right shoes and soft, seamless socks
Are things that I need to run and to rock.
Some run in shorts, others in skirts,
To beat the heat, not to be flirts.
I really do hate red burning thighs;
It really does kill my runner's high.
Garmin, Polar, Ironman are all the rage.
What I have on my IPod might tell my age.
Body Glide keeps the chafing at bay,
And gels, beans and GUs keep the bonk away.
Gasping for breath, it hardly seems fair,
But mouth breathers, beware, there are bugs in the air!
And mosquitoes in flight, I constantly fight
And itch and scratch at their nasty little bites.
One mile, two miles, three miles, four,
Gotta keep going or I'll hit the floor,
My neck, my back, it's not feeling nice,
I'll be so thankful for that tub of ice.
Tired of running, feet feeling heavy
Don't want to run the lake and levee.
But, if I'm telling the truth, I’d have to say
I'd rather run both than the #@*%# reservoir causeway!
Gotta keep going but, oh, my knee!
Am I the only one who has to pee?
I'll stop for a minute but no more,
It's stuck, oh no, the bathroom door!
Quick! Somebody! I need a map!
Made a wrong turn, ran an extra lap!
Oh this is dreadful, it's such a shame,
I can't find the direction from whence I came!
Up and down the hills I run,
Seldom have I had so much “fun.”
They say Chicago is really flat.
Do I HAVE to run hills to prepare for that?
Help me Lord it seems so far.
Will I ever make it back to the car?
Oh my feet, my ankles, my legs, the HEAT,
But I will not accept defeat.
Will this running ever get easier?
If I don't hydrate, I'll be queasier!
They tell us that we must carbo load,
If I eat any more, I will explode!
Lots of good carbs from Great Harvest bread.
That after-run snack can revive the dead.
Challa, white chocolate cherry or cinnamon swirl –
I’ll just eat a little, though, so I don’t hurl.
February was cold and my snot did freeze,
But come July, I’ll kill for a breeze.
All that sweat, you’d think I’d lose,
But as with many, I’ve the “gained weight blues.”
Some of the days I really feel cursed.
Thank God for the humor of Nissannurse!
My feet! My back! My legs! They ache!
Why do I run, for goodness sake?
Ooh, my clothes and shoes do reek!
Did I wash my bra this week?
Ouch! It hurts, that chafing thing
From sports bras, shorts and other things.
My friends all think that I'm insane,
Especially on Saturdays when I'm in pain.
They ask me out to have some fun,
I say, "No thanks, I've got to run!"
Friends listen to my whining
Even during our evening of dining.
Encouraging words from everyone
Makes recovery so much fun.
What all is this makeover really for?
Our body, our mind, and so much more.
The friends we have made will last a long time,
And our health will now be just fine.
Mark and Robin upped the bar,
Who else could make us run so far?
Matt’s cute and funny, Scotty’s fast,
Without them we would never last!
As I continue to add to this saga
I think, “It’s such fun to be a marathon blog-ahh.”
I have more energy now than I've had in years.
Thanks Fearless Leaders, to them 3 cheers!
Who knew we’d all become such good friends?
Encouraging each other to do stretches and bends!
We share successes, pains, and even SMELLS!
We could publish a book from our blog tales!
By Southwest to Chicago I’ll head
Leaving behind that feeling of dread.
My Marathon goal is only to complete
With all the whipper-snappers, I can’t compete.
When will October ever arrive?
I can only hope that I'll still be alive.
And when I cross that line with a smile,
I'll stop and think, “This has all been worthwhile!"
I’m not the same person I was when I started –
Couch potato dearly departed.
I've traded the junk food, TV, and naps
For pounding the pavement and following a map.
Marathon Makeover is our identity.
It's all about US, not just about ME.
We share, we care, and shed a few tears,
But crossing that LINE will bring many CHEERS!
We are all improved in body and mind,
Learning more about ourselves, it’s about time!
Pushing ourselves each Saturday to go longer
To keep to the course, to learn to be stronger.
I joined this craze to make myself smaller
Never imagined it would make me feel taller
Too scared to be confident, too new to be proud,
But I hear myself whisper, "I'm a marathoner now.”
By the 2007 Marathon Makeover Team
Up at dawn to beat the heat
I try to ignore the pain in my feet.
Prep for the run with a bit of stretching;
Don’t eat too much for fear of retching.
Up at four, he's out the door.
I know he wishes he could just sleep some more.
But Matt is there to help with set ups –
He promises not to forget the cups … again.
Marathon Makeover – I started from the couch,
I soon would begin to say daily, “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
How will my body know what to do
As I increase the mileage two by two?
Mark says “If the motion is forward, it’s a run.”
Surely you don’t call this torture fun?
Out before sun-up if I want to be cool,
Otherwise I’ll sweat a whole, big pool.
Labored breathing, pounding heart,
And that happens before I even start!
Some days this seems too much to bear,
The heat and humidity and wet, dripping hair.
Hydration, Hydration the ultimate rule,
I don’t even mind that I smell like a mule.
In January, 10:00 a.m. was so early!
Now that it’s June, that’s mid-day girlie!
Race ready shorts are just about right
With pockets to stash whatever I might.
But, if they’re too heavy and the crowd I do moon
I fear they’ll all be laughing, quite like a loon.
Tech clothes I wear with silver threads,
And a very cool visor sits on my head.
Just the right shoes and soft, seamless socks
Are things that I need to run and to rock.
Some run in shorts, others in skirts,
To beat the heat, not to be flirts.
I really do hate red burning thighs;
It really does kill my runner's high.
Garmin, Polar, Ironman are all the rage.
What I have on my IPod might tell my age.
Body Glide keeps the chafing at bay,
And gels, beans and GUs keep the bonk away.
Gasping for breath, it hardly seems fair,
But mouth breathers, beware, there are bugs in the air!
And mosquitoes in flight, I constantly fight
And itch and scratch at their nasty little bites.
One mile, two miles, three miles, four,
Gotta keep going or I'll hit the floor,
My neck, my back, it's not feeling nice,
I'll be so thankful for that tub of ice.
Tired of running, feet feeling heavy
Don't want to run the lake and levee.
But, if I'm telling the truth, I’d have to say
I'd rather run both than the #@*%# reservoir causeway!
Gotta keep going but, oh, my knee!
Am I the only one who has to pee?
I'll stop for a minute but no more,
It's stuck, oh no, the bathroom door!
Quick! Somebody! I need a map!
Made a wrong turn, ran an extra lap!
Oh this is dreadful, it's such a shame,
I can't find the direction from whence I came!
Up and down the hills I run,
Seldom have I had so much “fun.”
They say Chicago is really flat.
Do I HAVE to run hills to prepare for that?
Help me Lord it seems so far.
Will I ever make it back to the car?
Oh my feet, my ankles, my legs, the HEAT,
But I will not accept defeat.
Will this running ever get easier?
If I don't hydrate, I'll be queasier!
They tell us that we must carbo load,
If I eat any more, I will explode!
Lots of good carbs from Great Harvest bread.
That after-run snack can revive the dead.
Challa, white chocolate cherry or cinnamon swirl –
I’ll just eat a little, though, so I don’t hurl.
February was cold and my snot did freeze,
But come July, I’ll kill for a breeze.
All that sweat, you’d think I’d lose,
But as with many, I’ve the “gained weight blues.”
Some of the days I really feel cursed.
Thank God for the humor of Nissannurse!
My feet! My back! My legs! They ache!
Why do I run, for goodness sake?
Ooh, my clothes and shoes do reek!
Did I wash my bra this week?
Ouch! It hurts, that chafing thing
From sports bras, shorts and other things.
My friends all think that I'm insane,
Especially on Saturdays when I'm in pain.
They ask me out to have some fun,
I say, "No thanks, I've got to run!"
Friends listen to my whining
Even during our evening of dining.
Encouraging words from everyone
Makes recovery so much fun.
What all is this makeover really for?
Our body, our mind, and so much more.
The friends we have made will last a long time,
And our health will now be just fine.
Mark and Robin upped the bar,
Who else could make us run so far?
Matt’s cute and funny, Scotty’s fast,
Without them we would never last!
As I continue to add to this saga
I think, “It’s such fun to be a marathon blog-ahh.”
I have more energy now than I've had in years.
Thanks Fearless Leaders, to them 3 cheers!
Who knew we’d all become such good friends?
Encouraging each other to do stretches and bends!
We share successes, pains, and even SMELLS!
We could publish a book from our blog tales!
By Southwest to Chicago I’ll head
Leaving behind that feeling of dread.
My Marathon goal is only to complete
With all the whipper-snappers, I can’t compete.
When will October ever arrive?
I can only hope that I'll still be alive.
And when I cross that line with a smile,
I'll stop and think, “This has all been worthwhile!"
I’m not the same person I was when I started –
Couch potato dearly departed.
I've traded the junk food, TV, and naps
For pounding the pavement and following a map.
Marathon Makeover is our identity.
It's all about US, not just about ME.
We share, we care, and shed a few tears,
But crossing that LINE will bring many CHEERS!
We are all improved in body and mind,
Learning more about ourselves, it’s about time!
Pushing ourselves each Saturday to go longer
To keep to the course, to learn to be stronger.
I joined this craze to make myself smaller
Never imagined it would make me feel taller
Too scared to be confident, too new to be proud,
But I hear myself whisper, "I'm a marathoner now.”
9 comments:
I couldn't have said it better. You are so talented and inspirational. I think it sums up how we all feel! Suzanne
Awesome!
That's awesome, thank you for coming up with the idea.
Cathy, that was a great idea...we all got into it! We should send that in to Oprah so the producers will see how talented we are as well as determined. I wrote in to her show a while back hoping they would want to have Mark, Robin, and Matt on the show and talk about the MS MMers, but no response.
Thanks for your comments on my blog. As soon as my bike gets out of the shop which will be sometime next week I will contact you about a Sunday bike ride. See ya tomorrow!
You rock, girl! That was awesome! Thanks for doing this!
Jana
THanks for your hard work with helping everyone's thoughts come together so smoothly. Awesome! I think that should be a lasting tribute to MM.
thanks for doing that! It was really fun. Yet another "something" we've done as a group!
It was great meeting you last night finally.
See you soon!
Had lunch with Kim and Sam McGaugh yesterday after church. I asked Sam if he knew you and he said "YES! she is an awesome person!"
Thought you would want to know!
Jana
Thanks Cathy! This is absolutely awesome! It almost makes me want to cry!!!!
Post a Comment