Wow, it’s November!? Just over 2 weeks ago I was on my paddle board barefoot on the ocean, in short shorts and a t-shirt, and today on my run it was -2 and I wore PANTS.
Such a sharp corner the season took but I like it! Every year at this time I go through a period of “darkness” emotionally/energetically/spiritually, but once I take the time to accept the cold, dark season and some of the moody things that come along with it (or at least for me, anyways) then I can really settle in to the cozy season and feel genuinely happy about it.
I was walking home from the firehall tonight in the dark, zero-degree weather and taking a second to feel really grateful that I’m still sober after all this time. A long-time friend was asking me for some support on the subject today and it was a good personal reminder to check in with my own sober journey. Yesterday was 2500 days booze-free, and this Christmas will be SEVEN years. As I was walking home it was so quiet and there is a perfect first-quarter moon lighting up the dark night, and this maple tree in my neighbour’s yard was rustling in the wind… I’m not sure if I noticed that kind of stuff when I was still partying all the time, I can’t really remember.
On the hysterectomy front, there’s literally nothing to report. I feel like I’m almost, if not right back to, pre-surgical fitness and the only thing I’ve noticed during this marathon training cycle that’s different is the amount of sleep I need. I can nap any time, any place, for any amount of minutes, and I can sleep 10 hours a night if time permits. Maybe I didn’t sleep enough while I was recovering from the procedure, or maybe I’m just getting old. LOL.
CIM is in less than 5 weeks and I’m feeling pretty damn good, though less focused on race day goals. This build has been so fun, and like a science experiment, just observing the reunion with running after the six-week break and what my body went through. I am possibly more excited than ever to actually run the marathon, and it feels like a really low-pressure situation and I love it.
CIM is feeling low-pressure and like a victory lap with respect to the hysterectomy, but also because… my BQ from Eugene is taking me to the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17th, 2023!!!!! It is happening! I started long-term fantasizing about one day running the Boston marathon in May 2016 after my very first marathon – so long ago that I can’t even link to a race recap! LOL. What a journey it has been, and it of course does not end with Boston, but my dream has come true – I’M GOING!
It’s hard to believe that all my visualizing and manifesting and wacky witchcrafting has, or will soon, become reality! Since Eugene I imagined a qualifying cut-off time of <90 seconds (I ran 1:38 under the standard of 3:35:00 for my AG), I visualized travelling to Boston, feeling the celebration jacket on my skin, conquering the Newton hills, turning left on Boylston street, and so much more. I familiarized on Google maps. I bought a yellow crop top. I wrote a packing list on September 17 in my journal, which was three days before I actually found out I was IN! I just knew it.
WOW WOW WOW. So pumped. I’ve heard about so many runners’ “road to Boston” stories, and I think I’ll summarize my own soon as a way to reflect but also to demonstrate that progress is not linear and each person’s marathon journey is unique. But my message on this right now is: keep going, don’t quit and you can hunt down your goals over time! Never stop believing 😀 😀
Now, it’s time to enjoy fall running in reflective clothing, finish the last couple hard weeks of this build before the taper, and then perform the post-hysterectomy marathon experiment!!! Have a fun Fall!
JK
JammieKomadina 