For many of us, this past Saturday was an 18-miler… and no matter whether this was your "best ever" 18, your "first ever" 18, or had to 'dig deep’ and push yourself through 18—YOU RAN 18 MILES!

To any of you who may have struggled through that distance (or through any of your long runs) it’s time to accept the fact that none of us are really going to win the marathon (gasp!), so believing that we need to have our "best ever" run every timewe run really isn't the point.

The point is... we’re training to run a marathon—competing with ourselves to run our best and to be our best on Marathon Day.

The point is… we’re training to either get ourselves fit, or keep ourselves fit. 

And the point is… we’re training so that on Marathon Day, we can have a safe (read: 'injury free') run, and have a GREAT time doing it. (A "great time” experience-wise... in your heart. If you also happen to have a "great time" clock-wise, so much the better!)

And the point is... we’re training to support the children and families served by Ronald McDonald House Charities who are running a whole other kind of marathon—persevering through weeks, months or even years of hospital visits, surgeries and outpatient recovery.

That’s the point, and the ‘reasons why’ we’re doing this—'reasons’ I hope every one of you will keep in your hearts during every remaining training run, and throughout your run on October 8. 

According to most training schedules, there's just one more really long long-run left.

(Okay... two, if you're going to count the marathon. Although I don't think of the marathon so much as a 'long-run' as much as it is "The Big Dance.")

In these last few weeks of training, besides just focusing on Marathon Day, take the time to feel good about everything you've achieved over the past 3+ months… and to feel the joy of letting your heart 'beam' with pride over the fact that you have become an endurance athlete! 

(Which is what you have become.)

And enjoy the joy (the rather odd joy) of getting up at 4:30 AM on a Saturday morning, so you can out-run the sun.

And thank you runners (again!) for the commitment you’re making to train and run and fundraise to support the health and well-being of the children and families served by Ronald McDonald House Charities.

You're THE BEST!

Train safe. Run strong.

Finish proud. 

Always.

C.