The O-town Scene

Gone Running A Donald Duck Half Marathon On Jan. 8, I ran my first half marathon in Walt Disney World. I have a hard time believing I accomplished this. I just cannot believe “I” did it. If you had come up to me less than two years ago and said, “You’re going to run 13.1 miles,” I would have laughed and made some sort of joke about how “I don’t run unless some- one is chasing me … with a weapon.” Yet, here I am, with an official Donald Duck Half Marathon Medal in my possession. I ran my first race in September 2009. It was a 5K (3.1 miles), and that was all I expected of myself at that time. I was happy to have accomplished running 3 miles after living a relatively inactive, un-athletic existence for the past (shhhh) three-plus decades. Something happened to me when I crossed that finish line, though. I knew imme- diately I had it in me to do better, to go faster, to go even further. So I set a new goal _ to run my first 10K by my 35th birthday. I trained hard. I got shin splints. I got H1N1, which led to a nasty case of bronchitis. But in December 2009, I ran my first 10K in Washington, D.C. Strangely, the same damn phenomenon happened as soon as I crossed the finish line. I thought, “I can do even better!” some difficulty walking down stairs. But, I feel better than I ever have post-race. “I’m not here to tell you it’s easy. I’m here to tell you it’s worth it.” Then I trained for the Utica Boilermaker 15K _ yes, that IS three times longer than the 5K at 9.3 miles. The race was in July 2010, and it was hot, muggy and I had just rolled my ankle two weeks before the race. I finished with an abysmal time, but I finished, and seeing my husband and son at the finish line still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. So here I am, post half marathon, with my shiny medal and Well, if you noticed any sort of pattern here it is that this journey has never been easy for me. I have gotten bruises, spasms, blisters (like the quarter-sized one on the inside arch of my foot), I’ve been sick, and I’ve even lost a toenail. I did all this after being told, “Do not stand, sit or walk more than 15 minutes at a time” after a car accident. I’m not here to tell you it’s easy. I’m here to tell you it’s worth it. Running does something to you. It makes you strong, physi- cally and mentally. It gives you confidence, and you earn that confidence because you do things you never imagined you could do. It empowers you to make goals and achieve them. It makes you feel better, and it’s free (until you really get into it and find yourself googling the latest running gear). The greatest thing about running is you can just keep going. Looks like a nice chilly day for a half marathon recovery run. Danielle Tonner is a professional in higher education in ad- dition to being a wife, mother and runner. Look for updates at www.otownscene.com 14 O-Town Scene Jan. 20, 2011

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