3 things I'd like to share about the last week.
1. I've now seen 3 Doors Down 33 times in concert. Yup, I know that's a lot, but I enjoy their music and to make it better they're some overall great guys. Show 33 was a fluke. I hadn't intended on going, especially after finding out the show was sold out, but I ended up getting into a twitter conversation with their base player, Todd. Before I knew it he left me two tickets at will call and I was their guest for the night. Show 32 was earlier in the week and I met the band pre-show at the soundcheck. I was able to take a moment and share this blog with their lead guitarist, Chris. I've been following him on twitter over the last year and a half and have seen him make some dramatic changes to his lifestyle. He's been inspirational and motivating with his workouts and the amount of weight he's been able to keep off. It's just nice to see that my favorite group is made up of individuals with some good character.
2. I nailed my 18 mile run. There had been a lot of self doubt over the past week. I keep fighting all the thoughts that folks keep putting in my head when they tell me there's no way I can run 3 marathons in such a short amount of time. I started to listen to the words and let them cloud my focus for a few days. On Saturday I got back on track. I knew the run would make or break me, and outside of a little toe pain I felt great! No aches or pains the day after and the toe is back to normal. I took today off to do some extra stretching, but I'm ready to hit the hills again tomorrow. Here's the plan going forward…. 3/17 - LA Marathon, it'll take the place of my normal 21 mile training run for Boston. Then I taper a little, and hit Boston on 4/15. After that I rest and get a few short runs in for Big Sur on 4/28. 4/28 is the only marathon I'm still nervous about. It's ranked the 13th most difficult in the world, but it's also one of the most beautiful, so the plan is to just take it slow and enjoy the scenery. It's been difficult holding back on the speed training. I tried so hard to break 4 hours last year and now I've held back to prevent injury and preserve my body for the multiple marathons. I'd love to say I'll let loose in Big Sur, but I don't want to give myself false hope…. That leads me to tomorrow, when I register for the Chicago Marathon…. to be continued.
3. On Saturday night I went to a 40th birthday party with the family (Happy Birthday Tracy). At the party I got to see my little shy Paige go out onto the dance floor all by herself and play amongst a group of very active kids anywhere from 3 - 10. Six months ago Paige would have been clinging to my side or to Kate's side, but Saturday she was out there on her own having fun. Of course half of the time she was pretending to be a "little kitty", but she was out there without fear. It's so important for me to see my little girl develop self confidence, especially at this age. Kate and I were always shy, and it often times prevented me from trying new things. Saturday made me realize that Kate and I are doing a good job fostering confidence and independence in Paige. It amazes me that this is the same little girl that wouldn't go into dance class back in September.
Finally, I want to thank everyone for reaching out to me after my last blog. I truly feel blessed to have so many supportive family and friends on board for my journey.
Dan
