Two weeks ago I should have become an official “marathoner.” But grudgingly, I followed instructions from three different doctors that told me I needed to…stop running. Boy was I in quite a mood that weekend I found out. I was upset with all the hard work and sacrifice I felt just went to waste. A back injury from over seven years ago was making me run and put all of my weight on one side of my body every time I hit the ground. My back, hip, leg and foot were all suffering and I could not endure the huge amount of running I was trying to accomplish. I was mad, but not sure who to be mad at. I had come to love running, it was my escape in my busy mommy life and I didn’t want it to go away. I didn’t want the newfound energy I had been missing for a few years to suddenly diminish. I finally cared about making time for myself, taking care of my body and feeling healthy.

After a few days of sulking and finding no one to put the blame on, I got over myself. Not every goal you set out to accomplish turns out the exact way you envisioned. By just training for a marathon I learned I was missing something very important in my priorities---taking care of myself.

I am proud of completing over twenty weeks of my training and getting up to sixteen miles. Even now when I find myself lost I think about one of my runs, where I truly felt like a marathoner. I can remember the sounds, smells, feelings and my love for running. And even though I wasn’t able to complete my marathon, I did find something more important---a missing part of myself.

For more from Vanessa, visit her at www.INeverGrewUp.net where she blogs ideas and reviews to keep your children educated, entertained and cared for.