Cleveland Marathon is Coming... am I Tough Enough

The Boston Marathon was ran this past Monday in extremely hot weather for this time of year for Boston, Massachusetts . The race directors offered the participants a chance to duffer their entry until next year do the extreme heat . Some did take them up on their offer, but a friend of mine did not. She ended up participating and finishing the race . Not only did she have the heat to deal with , but a week leading up to the race she could barely breath and had foot problems where she didn't even know that she was going to participate because of her health . Then she was given the chance to defer to next year, and she declined, then proved her toughness.

If I were in the same of circumstances as she was, I don't know if I would run . Even though it has always been a dream of mine to run Boston (and New York). I might have taken the chance to differ my entry to next year. I admire her courage and her toughness, I am not sure if I have if I have that level of toughness. My attempt at the Buffalo Marathon last year is weighing heavily on my mind.I am very concerned about history repeating itself this year .

One comment my friend made on her Facebook page is that her family is tough and doesn't quit. I have said the same thing to my kids many times when they want to drop out of something. I have used my training for marathons as an example, sometimes I would love to stay in my pajamas all day and play mindless games on Facebook, but I made a commitment and I have to see it through.

However, am I tough enough to see it through...... family history shows that I have it in my genes.

• In 1988 my father had a massive stroke which left him 3/4 paralyzed on the right side of his body. He had to learn to walk, talk and do many different everyday tasks that we take for granted all over again. He did this and never complained.

• In the mid 2000's my father learned that he had prostate cancer and he had to go get treatments. He never complained. You would have never known he was dealing with cancer at the time unless you were told (Yes, he beat it)  

• In 2009 he suffered more strokes which more or less robbed him of his ability to walk and talk, but he fought back and did not loose his smile or the ability to say "How are you?"

• My father passed away this past February, on the night before he died, my son ran up to him and hugged him. Up until this point he was having a hard time responding to anything going on around him. However, when Riley hugged him , my Dad , for a brief instant looked at my son and smiled . It will be a moment that I will never forget. 

I could go on and on about about what my parents have taught me about being tough ( I could right a book about my Mom, she is one tough cookie as well!) . I have to keep reminding myself that running a measly 26.2 miles in Cleveland (The world's greatest city) is NOTHING compared to what my parents have gone through.