I think I can, I think I can...

The Little Engine that could is one of my favorite kids' book. I think I need to read it again to be reminded that I CAN do anything I set my mind to.

Saturday was great! I had missed the last meeting we had in Clinton, so getting out on the streets was great. Thanks Christa for walking with me. I wasn't feeling up to the challenge, but Christa and I talked the entire distance and before we knew it, we were done! We didn't run, I hope I wasn't holding you up Christa.
Amy, I didn't know where I was going, so I just went in the same direction Christa did. LOL

Met some more people, finally met Kim (hey!), Chuck and Cheryl. It is amazing how Mark always knows what we need to hear. I've been doubting myself, wondering if I can really do this. I know I am in good physical shape but time to train is hard to come by. Really hard to come by.

So, going along with Mark's advice, I figured I should self examined my reasons for doing this marathon and give myself a pep talk. So here it goes.

I've been wanting to sign up for this marathon for a couple of years. The first year I was trying to get pregnant, the next year I was pregnant with the twins. So when it was time to do it again, I figured why not. I'm the type of person who needs to have something to work towards, a goal of some sort. I figured a marathon was as good as any.

So after I signed up, I was reading about the people who use their marathons for charity; and after talking to my sister Glenda, decided to do this for Lillian. CFC syndrome is very rare, so most doctors don't know what they are dealing with when they first see a CFC child. Glenda & Kevin (her husband) went thru so much, trying to find out what was affecting their kid. There was no name for this, no one knew what to do, or how to proceed. In the meantime, their daughter could not eat, would stop breathing for no reason, and was failing to grow as other kids. They were afraid any moment she would die and no one would know why.

Through research, scientists have discovered which genes mutate and cause CFC. Hopefully soon they'll be able to develop a test that will tell the parents and doctors if the child has CFC. I want to help raise money to develop that test. So that's my reason #2 for doing this marathon.

My biggest struggle isn't training or eating right. My biggest struggle is feeling guilty for leaving my kids at home while I go out to train. The time we spent together is precious to me, and limited since I work a very demanding job. So it makes it very hard for me to leave them and go do something for myself.

But the fact is I will be a better person and a better mother after I finish this marathon. I will be healthier and hopefully a good role model for my kids after I finish this. They may be too young to remember my 1st marathon, but who said this is going to be the last one? ;)

This marathon isn't the hardest thing I've done in my life. I have overcome several obstacles along the way and made it. I went to college with a dream and a handful of change. I didn't have the luck to have parents who could pay for my school, so I had to put myself thru school. And I made it. It wasn't easy but when I left Ole Miss 4 yrs later, I was an engineer and I had a job. I had come a long way from that immigrant girl who first set foot on campus.

I delivered a healthy baby girl after struggling with preeclampsia. I made it thru postpartum complications that almost took my life, and came out on the other side with a deeper appreciation for my life and my family.

I made it thru 2 months of bedrest, one week in the hospital with pre term labor, and two weeks with my preemie babies in NICU. They are both healthy, rambunctious litte boys, and I am blessed.

There are so many other challenges I've faced and I always found a way to make it thru them. So I need to continue to remind myself that I CAN do this, that I WILL finish this marathon.

I'm sure we have all faced challenges, and have overcome those challenges. So I'm pretty sure we will make it to Chicago!