As the days pass by and I get closer to running the Chicago marathon, I find inspiration where ever it pops its little head out. In the weeks leading up, it will take the form of watching documentaries, talking to friends, or something as simple as a pre-race ritual such as a haircut. All these things get me in the right mental state to push myself but it also helps me to focus on the fact that I do my hobbies because I enjoy them. Yes, I have a time goal and hope to PR but in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter if I achieve a PR at every race. Those goals aren’t going to go away 
I’ve been racing for about 4 years now doing various distances from sprint triathlons to marathons to ironman and soon ultramarathons. Friends and family are very much aware of the dedication I put in and it’s really motivating and awesome when I hear that one of them decides that they want to give a new distance a try. My goal every race is to smile and thank those cheering me on during the race. If I’m not smiling, feel free to call me out because then I’ve lost sight of the big picture.
Yesterday I saw Deena Kastor walking down the street and just seeing her got me excited to run. Last week I watched ‘Spirit of the Marathon’ in which she’s one of the main runners and so seeing her was like seeing a movie star… As Intel put it so well in their commercial, “Our rock stars aren’t like your rock stars.”
I’ve now been in Chicago for a day and look forward to checking out the expo later. It’s awesome going to big events with lots of booths and athletes as the excitement and nervousness can be quite tangible. Be sure to take it all in but don’t get too caught up in the excitement. We all have our own ways of dealing with the emotions leading up to big events. I’m glad that I stay pretty relaxed and hopefully this weekend will be no different.
This morning has started off on the right foot as I just finished reading an article about streakers which are those who have done a race a consecutive number of times. Now that’s dedication and I hope to be participating in marathons and triathlons in 20-30 years.
Hi John, I am Jeremy’s mom. I occasionally check on you as I admire your drive, discipline and accomplishments with all of your races. I just checked your stats on the Chicago Marathon. Congratulations that is awesome. You are one of a few people who inspire and motivate me to push myself out of my comfort zone with running. I’m grateful that I can do what I do. I did a 5k yesterday and was pleased with my finish considering I was running with a stress fracture in my foot, I know it could of been better had it not been for my foot. I really shouldn’t of ran, but I’m a mule (stubborn) and run through the pain. If you have never done the Cooper River in Charleston I highly recommend it. 3/27/10 is when it is scheduled. Again Congrats.