Monday Inspirations - The 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials and Derek Redmond Chasing The Blahs

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Up until this past weekend, I was feeling a little unmotivated and uninspired.  2011 was such a huge running year for me (1st Ragnar Relay Race, 5k and 10k PRs, 1st half marathon race).  I swear, I think I got runner's high every time I ran when I trained for those races, and it spilled over to every aspect of my life - I felt like a better mom, better wife, a better friend and I finally hit my goal weight!  If I could bottle up that runner's high, I would.  I'm sure you all know what I mean.

Then my enthusiasm came crashing after my first half in November, which, I've heard and read, was normal and expected as my running season came to an end.  I was missing following a training plan and the excitement of looking forward to a race.  The crazy holiday prep slowly replaced my runs, and thus found myself in a huge rut, absent from running and guilty from the holiday indulgences.

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I'm signed up to run my first Rock N Roll race in DC, the half in March, but my last training runs have been so....blah.  Could it be because I've already done the distance?  Or is it the cold weather? It's like the PMS that won't go away.  Blah.

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Blaming it on my blahs, I almost forgot about the Olympic Marathon Trials.  Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, who came THIS close to spoiling it for me in the morning, I claimed the upstairs TV for the 3pm recorded broadcast on NBC.  No football game or Wii game or recorded Cat in the Hat TV show.  It's mom's turn in front of the TV.  If I was as smart as Run With Jess, I would've done some cross training while watching the trials, but I was so...blah (You go, Jess! ;) )

For someone like me who never watches TV, who knew that TV would pick me up and inspire me?

Inspiration #1:  The Men and Women at The 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials.  Yes, all of them.  Watching all the men and women Olympic hopefuls at the starting line made my heart swell.  Gosh, even for someone who qualified but knowingly had no chance against the elites toe'd up at the start, their dreams ahead of them....  I felt so proud of them all!

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Deep down, I had my hopes on Kara and Deena, who both just had babies and are getting back to racing again.  I wanted them to prove that they can make a huge comeback, that they are more badass than ever as mother runners.  I was in awe of Desiree Davila who made 26.2 miles look like a fun run.  She was so calm and cool the entire time.  LOVE her running form.  Kara, to me, has this way of looking both vulnerable and strong at the same time.  I identify with her a lot - emotions so close to the surface.  She is so real to me.  LOVE her.  Shalane's mantra, "cold execution," matched her face the entire race.  Once in a while, though, a grimace would pass over her face.  It was only after she crossed the finish line, taking first place, did I notice the chafing under Shalane's arms.  Ouch!  Oh and who doesn't grimace after running for that long?

Other memorable moments for me:  seeing the other women qualifiers cheering for the lead men as the men lapped them; Meb's victory lap;  the top 3 women crying, huddled under our flag, telling each other, "I'm so proud of you!"  It was painful to watch the fourth place runners - Dathan Ritzenhein and Amy Hastings - to be SO close.  

Inspiration #2:  My second inspiration came Sunday morning:  Derek Redmond back in the 1992 Olympic Games (not crazy about the song, but the words totally made up for it).

I just learned that Derek's dad is going to carry the Olympic torch at the 2012 London Olympic Games!  How cool is that?

Start of a new week.  I hope to face this new week with renewed energy and hope.  I'm thinking I might just need to change things up a bit, like run with friends more, or find new routes to run, to keep things fresh.  I was so inspired by these athletes to keep doing what I am doing.  To not give up.  To work my way back up again, and that it's ok to falter, just don't give up.  I was reminded of why I run - that positive and uplifting community of runners, that scary, exhilarating moment at the start line, and the triumphant feeling at the finish, no matter how fast or slow, injured or not.  

"If you can't fly, then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward."  - Martin Luther King, Jr.

I hope they inspired you as much as they inspired me.  What inspired you lately?  Enjoy your MLK, Jr. holiday.