It's the journey, not the destination

With what was a little over 2 weeks out from the 2013 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and with knee pain still occurring I went to see at orthopedic surgeon this week. Then an MRI. And finally, today the moment of truth: a follow up to discuss the results.

I was handed a report and then asked to wait until the doctor was free. You know what jumped out first? This...

Marathon runner. I read recently that you become a marathon runner when you lace up your shoes, line up on the starting line, and give the crowd a reason to cheer. That's so far from the truth! This isn't an overnight decision of "hey I may run a marathon tomorrow" but one that takes preparation and training over a number of weeks (17-18 according to most plans).

Then I came across this quote from tennis legend Arthur Ashe:

"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome."

That's it! One is not defined by having reached a specific destination but by the journey they take.

I have not yet completed my first 26.2. But I have trained this entire summer (really the entire year!). I have had the amazing fortune of seeing many great sights and meeting many wonderful people! I've captured some of these moments and have setup a display that gives me a daily reminder of just how rich this journey has been.

Unfortunately for me, the MRI results showed a "stress reaction" which, according to my doc could also be read as "stress fracture". And the fix? Rest. 4-6 weeks and then a gradual reintroduction to high impact activities. No Chicago Marathon.

That hurts. More than the physical pain. But in the end, this is just one race. There will be MANY more. This amazing journey continues. And it always would have. I'm going to fix those things that I didn't do right this time around and set my sights on the next target.
I'm going to rock that Turkey Chase!

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