You only get one first

In 2010, I ran my first marathon.

October 31, 2010   Athens, Greece.  The 2,500 (that would be the twenty fifth hundred) anniversary of the original running of the marathon.  From Marathon, Greece to Athens, Greece.

I trained.  I ran.  I ran an ad on Craigslist and found two incredible running buddies.  In fact, I've found lots of incredible stuff on Craigslist.

Near the end of my training, I was SO burned out on running.  Burned out, like, I never even want to walk again, much less run.  If you show me another pair of running shoes, I will throw them at you - sick of running.  This is THE marathon though.  I have to train.

NEVER was it on the list.  Okay, that's a lie. It was on the list.  WAY down there on the list.  But it was there.  ONLY, Laurel and I thought we would do it when we were 60.  Quite honestly, I thought it would be the Dallas White Rock Marathon.  The little voice in my head always said "go back, to where it began".

When I was a child, my mom had my sister and I volunteer with her at the Dallas White Rock Marathon.  We didn't have much money and I remember loving the free t-shirts we got from volunteering.  She taught us to give.  And looking back, you realize you can give and get so much in return.

I always thought THAT would be the one.

Then I got an e-mail.  The twenty fifth hundred anniversary of the original running.  There was no "HALF" option.  It was the full or a 10k. First thought, "I'm not going all the way to Greece to run a 10k".  If there is a first one to do, well, wouldn't this be the one???    The FIRST?

Then, a little angel spoke to me.  You know, those angels whom look at us with big eyes like we have never thought of it before.  And this angel actually came through the same group whom I learned about the marathon.  I said "I"m so sick of training.  What do I do to keep going?"  And this angel said to me "you only get one first.  Just remember that".

Once again, you never know when you are going to change someone's life.  She was right.  You only get one first.  It completely changed my attitude.  So I made a sticker and wore it on my back "YOU ONLY GET ONE FIRST".

Near the finish line, when people would tell me to hang on, you are almost there - it made all the difference.

TOMORROW, we are back to another first.

My youngest sons' first half marathon.  We've been training.

He's a runner.  I run. HUGE difference.

It's funny.  People go, "Oh, you are running together?" "No," I reply, "We are running the same race".  BIG DIFFERENCE.

He's super excited.  I'm super excited for him too.

Today is Saturday.  On Tuesday, I fell off a board in the bay that has something out for me.  I sliced my foot open.  9 stitches.

I've never had accidental stitches before.  The arch of my foot.

Here is what I said to the doctor:

I faint during pain
Clean it out well
I'm running the half marathon on Sunday.

This is what he said to me:

This is going to hurt
I'm giving you shots on the bottom of your foot
I don't normally give stitches on the arch of the foot, but I have a feeling you aren't going to do what I tell you.
I making the knot's ugly so you know how to cut them out in 7 to 10 days.  If you don't listen to anything else, just wait the 10 days.  
Stay out of the water for 10 days
Keep it dry and stay off of it.


Conclusion: - or should I say, my compromise:

9 stitches on the arch of my foot
Ugly knots - 3 pairs of surgical scissors (they throw them all away), a pair of tweezers.  I can take them out.
Round of antibiotics
A foot bootie

Yeah, right.

This is all about Nolan and his first.  Maybe I'm being selfish. When I signed up for it, I asked him, "Do you want to do the half too".  After all, if you are going to pick a first, you only get one.   Is it too much for a mom to ask, well, to share that first?

Selfishly, you only get to run your sons first half marathon with him, well, once. And as long as the foot isn't gushing blood, well......


See you at the finish line.......