July | 2013 | sistersoleblog

Missoula Marathon will always be known as Marathon Weekend to me no matter how many other marathons and half marathons I do.

Another year of the Missoula Marathon is in the books! Wow. What a year of challenges and obstacles to overcome. I have learned many lessons through running and have also learned that I have many more lessons to learn. It is empowering and humbling.

A major lesson I learned this Missoula Marathon race weekend, is the importance of the race event itself. People who train for races, no matter the distance, put so much work and energy into their training. Many think that I am simply talking about the hours and physical miles logged on training runs, but it goes even beyond that. Life has a way of throwing turns into you route to race that you have no way to plan for. Life is full of stressors, but race day comes no matter what. It is critical to enjoy the event.

This year I personally had challenges to face up to race morning but through it all, I enjoyed the race and even walked away with another PR. I never saw that coming. I had thought I had become a fatality to personal doubt. But my running buddy Mama H Sole pulled me out from my excuses. She said those magical words “Yes you can!” And even though she was referring to a time that I didn’t achieve, I did beat my last half marathon by 2 minutes and that was in December (2:21:43). We both said after “if only we had trained harder”…Well watch out 2:15 half marathon…I am coming for you in 2014! Life may not be simpler by then, but I am committed to my goal and I can’t wait to execute.

To all of those who worked so hard this year, I am so proud of you. I had a few friends who ran their first half marathon ever and they never thought they would. I had a friend who ran her first full marathon ever for her Mom who passed away at the young age of 45 because this year she is 45 (her race number was 45- Yay for amazing race directors who get it!). I also had many friends who broke their own records. RC’s teenage son walked 13.1 miles with her after months of training. Beans walk the half with a bun in the oven! I even ran with my niece and nephews who ran in their longest race ever at 1, 4 and 5 years old (1.2 miles and the 1 year old “strolled”). What a success!

What is next adventure for the Sole Sisters? Well, BigSisterSole has a goal to do a Tri-Athlon so we are shooting for one in October. Time to Swim-Bike-Run for the next few months.

Keep Striding,

LittleSisterSole

Some Photos from the running activities: