Inspiration

I'm sitting down next to my pneumo-boot, crutches, cane, and scooter are downstairs, I'm injured yet again (second stress fracture), but I am going to run the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge next year.

"Really?"

from active.com:

If you think that a marathon is just a walk in the park, put your endurance to the test and compete in Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge! A 39.3-mile adventure held over two days, participants will run the Half Marathon on Saturday, followed by the Marathon on Sunday. If you finish both races within the pacing requirements, you will be awarded the coveted Goofy medal in addition to your Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse finisher medals.

Much has been written and said about inspiration, quotes from historical and spiritual books abound, from poetry, from speeches, from films.  I won't even try to pretend to come up with something more moving, or ground breaking, or motivating, than what is already out there ... but this:  out of all the quotes, and self-help and motivational advice out there, I believe the best, and the best said, was said by Walt Disney himself:

If you can dream it, you can do it.

                                                                                                 -Walt Disney

(credit to www.fanpop.com for this pic)

It is perfect, and can't be said any better.

Today is the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.  The Half Marathon is finishing up as I type.  I was supposed to be there at the World this weekend, and I was to run my first marathon tomorrow, the Walt Disney World Marathon.  Well, things happen, and I know my injuries is just a way for me to get better. This obstacle will be something I will overcome, to propel me to something greater.  I will run the Goofy next year, and it will be great.

I do not consider myself particularly religious, and at this time I do not mean to take this into a spiritual direction, but something interesting, the random affirmation for today from Louise Hay is,

"I allow myself to think big dreams."  Nice. Goes perfectly with Walt Disney above.

And, for those of you with a New Age slant, a random affirmation that caught my eye right now is,
"Whatever I can imagine, the Universe can deliver." Again.  What Walt Disney said above.

I must say I am in pretty good spirits about the whole thing.  I have been on crutches or cane now for about 5 out of the last 7-8 months.  Pretty frustrating, especially when I set the Goofy as my personal goal.  Frustrating when all I want to do is be physically active and run.  There are a lot of motivational articles and speech, etc, about "getting up in the morning and taking the first step for the run," and "finding a reason to run," and "not stopping," etc.  I'm frustrated because I'm already motivated, I already want to run, and I have my own reasons, and I don't want to stop ... but I can't right now because of my injuries.

When I do get down, there are a couple of videos that pick me up:

This is about Roger Wright, who lost over 100 pounds and trained for the Boston Marathon in less than 10 months, for his health and for charity. Very inspiring:

Roger Wright's website is called Running for my Existence, and he is raising money for his niece and charity for cystic fibrosis.
The above video is a must-see.

The next is about Derek Redmond, you may remember from the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.  The video and music may be too much for some, but what happened is still inspiring, whether you are religious or not.

Ok, ok, I'm not sure I really wanted to go this way, the emotional, sentimental, inspiring, motivational, positive-thinking type of discussion ... but hey, isn't that what Disney and running are both about?  And aren't we in the middle of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend?

Good Luck runners!  I will join you next year.  And yes, I really will.  Last week my family and I started to plan a trip to Walt Disney World January 2014, specifically for the Marathon Weekend (January 10, 11, 12).  My sister and her running family are going, and my parents are already looking into booking a Disney Vacation Club Grand Villa at Old Key West.  And -- via a deferral form from this year,

I registered for the 2014 Walt Disney World Goofy Race and a Half Challenge.

Not just a dream.  This is real.

This is my goal, see this sticker?:

The next time I post this sticker will be EXACTLY ONE YEAR from today, when I complete the Goofy Challenge on January 12, 2014.

"Yes, really."