The Dog Days Are Over

"Run fast for your mother / run fast for your father" is the chorus of Florence and the Machine's hit song "The Dog Days Are Over," a song that a wise and supportive friend suggested that I add to my running playlist. I always think of marathons as two ten mile runs followed by a 10K race, and I've positioned this upbeat song at the very end of the second ten miler, just before I dig in for the final 6.2 miles. For me, the song celebrates the hard work of slogging through the Wall--and of slushing through the winter snow--and it propels me when my legs are tired. Its lyrics remind me of a central source of inspiration for running the marathon: running fast for my mother.

Dog days are typically the hottest days of summer, so metaphorically they signify an unproductive or sluggish time. With spring peeping its daffodil bulbs out of the cold, hard ground, I wonder if we could think of the frozen winter season as inverted "dog days." In the winter, it's easy to cuddle up in a Snuggie and hibernate. This winter, however, I was lucky enough to find a reason to keep moving even on the coldest, wettest days. During my last long run today--a mere 8 miles that I would have struggled to finish last fall--I realized that the dog days are over, and even better, that they weren't really dog days at all.

This insight charged me with renewed energy and helped me run stronger and faster than I had intended to run today. My delight in running also helped me to remember that I'm not just running for my mother. I'm running because I can. I like the way my endorphins pump through me after a run--even a slow or short or bad run. I like feeling my heart and legs grow stronger, and I like having the time to clear my mind and to reflect. Running makes me feel good. And I'm grateful that I have the time and ability to do it.

With only one week and two very short runs to go before the big race, I'm becoming nervous and excited. I'm not sure if I'll accomplish any of my running goals, but I know that's not really why I'm running. I've already experienced the two most important reasons for training for this marathon: the first is my pleasure in the training runs themselves, and the second is exceeding my fundraising goals. With $1,422.20 raised and an additional $200+ raised by Tulaloo, we have left in the dust our latest goal of $1500. From here on out, I won't set any new goals; it's time to taper! But if you want to celebrate my momma and to help find a cure for NMO, there's still time to make a donation to Guthy-Jackson or to buy notecards from Tulaloo.