Facing the Wall

The wall I face when running on the treadmill in the garage.

If you’ve ever ventured into my office at Granite United Way, you’ve probably noticed a fairly large collage on my office wall. It’s a combination of famous quotes, children’s art, family and staff photographs, and reminders of humorous situations. It’s my version of “give a penny, take a penny,” where staffers add to and take from the wall as they’d like, with the idea that it is a source of motivation for our team.

Hidden from the view of almost everyone else, I keep a second inspirational wall, located on the inside of my garage door. This is the wall I face every time I get on the treadmill, a wall I’ve faced many, many times during this chilly training season. It’s an eclectic collection of pieces, including a quote from Socrates, a verse from Psalms, and even one slightly profane reminder, all to keep me focused when my mind and body begin to veer off-course.

This weekend, I faced another wall. For most marathon training plans, the 20-miler marks the longest distance a runner will undertake during their preparation. Most runners experience “the wall,” or their mental and physical breaking point, somewhere around this distance. So, this weekend, I faced the first 20 miler of my Boston training.

In many ways, the timing of this run was less than ideal. It fell just 2 days after Gwen had a robust set of 6 month vaccinations, leaving her sore and irritable. Sunday marked the beginning of Daylight Savings Time and a full moon, robbing us of an hour and leaving me with a confused and overtired toddler.  With cold temperatures, strong winds, and a late season Nor’easter headed our way, the odds were stacked against me. So I made a somewhat bold decision: I’d face my 20 mile wall while facing my garage wall. That’s right… nearly over 2.5 hours of running on the treadmill.

While treadmill running offers a flat running profile and a buffer from the weather, it absolutely has its downsides. Staring at a digital readout of your constant progress while the rest of your view remains the same is daunting. Potentially more challenging is the “ease of bailing” factor, as one can end a run by simply pressing a button, unlike the logistical challenges of stopping out on the road. Thus, I still felt incredibly accomplished when I saw the display finally read 20.00.

A long shower, two heart-shaped PB&Js (thanks to my husband), and a tall glass of chocolate milk later, I faced yet another wall, one that reminds me why I keep running. My dining room wall is covered with Grant’s artwork, along with homemade signs that my husband and Grant make after each of my long runs. Over the last few weeks, when I’ve felt like my running progress has stalled, this has reminded me who is watching.

In the end, there will always be walls. That’s inevitable. The choice we have is how we face them.

My husband's delicious creation.

Inspirations from my family