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Health & Fitness

How My Wife Inspired Me To Do The 2012 Broad Street Run

It really did start for me at around my 37th birthday. I was tired of being tired. Tired of not pushing myself physically and mentally. Besides, I had enough inspiration right...?

I guess you can say it was this time last year, hearing people talk about their experience and satisfaction they got from completing the 2011 Broad Street Run, that I got the "itch" to try it myself.

But the thought of training for a 10-mile race in which I had no chance of actually winning in an already hectic and chaotic schedule seemed a bit too much. Just the daily stresses of life and schedules and this and that was enough to wear me down, how am I supposed to really have time to train and with that, train at a time when I am not already tired or too busy to take that time for myself. You get where I am going right? Sound familiar?

It really did start for me at around my 37th birthday. I was tired of being tired. Tired of not pushing myself physically and mentally. Besides, I had enough inspiration right in my home to motivate me. You see my wife, who was pretty much in the same boat as I, was preparing herself for her first 5K. She had always thought she could never run a mile, yet alone a 5K.

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Yet there she was, running between schedules and work. Running at 9 p.m. at night. On a treadmill. In a gym. Wherever she could and whenever she could. She was motivated and nothing was going to stop her. She did awesome! Immediately after the race her thoughts turned to Broad Street 2012

I did that 5K race with her and it is such an amazing feeling to accomplish something after you had worked so hard to finish a goal, especially after all the work and sweat and sacrifice you had to put in to it. But Broad Street I thought? That is 10 miles, we just did a 5K and that is a little over 3 miles. In about six months time with winter on the horizon, I need to train for an additional 7 miles? 

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So after registering us both for the 2012 Broad Street Run, there she was again ... no ache ... no pain ... no excuse ... ever got in her way. We ran several times together in preparation where she usually left me in the dust. We have three kids under the age of 8, she works part time and I work full time and there are all sorts of kids activities, schedules, events, etc. (I know, sounds familiar) She never let any of that stop her. She was my motivation. 

The race itself was awesome. Such and amazing sight and event to be a part of. There were more than 40,000people going down Broad Street, people cheering you on. I got to high five Jim Gardner and people of so many different ages were there, which was a sight just awes inspiring.

After crossing the finish line, having lost touch with my wife, it was a huge sense of accomplishment, but all I wanted was to find her. Well with that many people you can imagine trying to find anyone was a tad tough, but I finally did and the smile on her face was the best feeling of all and I thank her for motivating me enough to be there for that and experience that with her.

Can you take a guess at what she wants next? Yep, that is right a half-marathon. That is all you sweetie, I think I will stick to the 10 milers and under.

But I will be there rooting you on.

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