The podcast all about Gainesville, Georgia

It was a thrill seeing it! After chugging breathlessly up that seemingly endless last hill and turning the final corner - there it was. It was bold and beckoning, suspended stories above street level. Even from blocks away I could see it clearly. Its message was brief and to the point - only two words. But at that moment the most beautiful words in the English language.

Finish Line!

Yes, even though it was a thrill finishing my first marathon, it was about so much more. It was about morning after morning turning off the annoying, shrieking alarm clock at 5:30 and going out for a run. It was going for a run even when I didn’t want to or when it was too cold and dark or the warmth and comfort of my bed was too seductive. It was about those long Saturday morning training runs - important runs done rain or sunshine ... and BTW that was a really rainy winter. It was about running on achy, sore muscles with all the fibers in my ligaments screaming in protest. And it was the neurons in my brain shouting to my body, “what the heck ... are you crazy.?”

But it was also those times when my body and spirit meshed in perfect synchronicity; when my limbs and joints moved together harmoniously. And those times when I was on an incredible high and completely, joyously happy to be running. Endorphins? Maybe.

“Finish Line.” I still remember how excited I was seeing those words on that March afternoon. And even though the distance between Start and Finish is “only” 26.2 miles, the lessons I learned from that experience have carried me so much further. I learned about setting long-range goals and (pardon the pun) taking the steps to get there. I learned about not giving up when things get tough. I learned about just doing it especially those times when I truly did not want to. I learned about overcoming my fears and moving out my comfort zone - and how empowering that is. I learned about the satisfaction and pride that comes from

accomplishment. I learned self-confidence.

I can no longer run marathons - or even a run of any length. Neuropathy in my feet and a right foot that drops and drags when it gets tired have put an end to that. So even if I can’t run marathons, it has become a metaphor for how I want to live my life - especially as I get older.

I’ve learned how to be adaptive. Maybe I can’t run anymore, but I can get on the treadmill and walk as fast as I can. I can tilt up the incline as far as it goes to make it more challenging. I can hold on to the sides so if my dang foot drops, I won’t fall. (BTW the foot drop, has seemed to have taken a bit of a hiatus. I’m not sure if we are done with each other - but it’s really nice for now.)

Andy and used to go on long walks ... I mean really, really long - miles and miles of walks. I can’t do those distances anymore. But we can and do take shorter walks. We walk and talk and hold hands as we’ve always done.

Final thoughts:

Running a marathon is very much akin to starting a podcast. What? Well, they both have required moving out of my comfort zone and trying something new and challenging; scary and exciting. And I think that both Andy and I have a, “Super Power.” It’s that we always been able to start with a dream, plan, scheme and take action to reach our, “Finish Line.”