By Staff
I am not an athlete. My legs are too short, my endurance is too low and my willpower is too weak to skip dessert.
Like too many people, I go through life assuming I have limits, on money and time and talent.
But a trip through Louisville, Ky., on Saturday reminded me that life can be limitless, as long as you work hard.
I'm the black sheep in a family of recreational runners, so my agreeing to do a half-marathon and convincing my husband to do the same was a double act of love and courage.
Josh and I only started training a few months ago, and he was immediately more dedicated than I. I set a goal for myself: Finish. In under three and a half hours.
That's far from the pace of an elite runner, but it was a goal I could be proud of.
We started out on a cool morning, in a sea of more than 10,000 people. We trudged through city streets, up and down hills in a park, through Churchill Downs - where the Kentucky Derby will be run Saturday - and into downtown Louisville.
We probably walked more than we ran, and even many of those people who walked the entire way finished before we did.
But at least I can say I'm halfway to a marathon - and I have some inspiration to get there.
My good friend Rebecca Jordan ran the full marathon in 3:23 and finished ninth among the women. She literally ran twice as fast as I did - and twice as far.
I may never reach that level, but I couldn't find better footsteps to follow.
Isn't it amazing what God created us to be able to do?
And isn't it amazing to discover that you really don't have limits?
Kerry Whipple Bean is publisher of The Brewton Standard. She can be reached at 251-867-4876 or by e-mail at kerry.bean@brewtonstandard.com.