Half-marathon training
Week 13, day 4

In the fall of 1989, I was applying to law school. I had worked hard to keep my grades up in college and taken the LSAT. I had catalogued my extra-curriculars and worried over my essays. That spring, I waited to hear back. One of my recommendations got lost for Yale and had to be resubmitted. I still remember talking to the admissions office on the phone and telling her that if I hadn’t gotten in, I needed to fed ex my deposit to Harvard that day. She said, “well I can’t tell you our decision over the phone…but I wouldn’t send in that deposit if I were you.”

I sent my deposit to Yale instead, applied for housing, pored over the information they sent me and finished my senior year. I packed up all my belongings and flew to New Haven at the end of August to start my first year of law school. And despite all of that, it wasn’t until the first time I walked into the law school that it hit me – I was going to Yale.

So what does that have to do with running? Today it hit me – I’m running a half-marathon. Yeah, I signed up in August, and I’ve been following the training schedule and raising money. I recommitted, got my hotel room in Orlando and booked flights. But it wasn’t until I was driving to the lake this morning that I really believed it. In January, I’m running 13.1 miles in the Disney half-marathon to raise money for LLS.

Today’s eight miles were rough – my knees were really hurting today for some reason (I’m guessing the front blowing through tomorrow). But it didn’t concern me. I ran with Shana, Jennifer and Kelsi and we got our eight miles done.

Over the course of the season, different people have asked me what I’m doing after Disney. Will I keep running? Do another race (some of my teammates are already signed up for spring)? Take time off? Every time, I’ve said, “I have to get through this one first.” Because at some level I didn’t feel sure I would be able to finish. Today, while I was stretching, someone asked, “what are you doing after Disney?” I thought for a moment, and said, “I haven’t decided yet.”