As I stumbled across the mountains of Temecula, CA the question popped in to my mind "Why am I racing?". It was a moment of doubt when the hills felt their steepest, the pain at its highest and as the lead pack pulled away from me, I could not help but feel out of my prime...a far cry from my collegiate days of national prominence.
The thoughts crept their way into my mind of all the other places I could be at that moment. Surely there had to be something less painful, easier, a sand strewn beach perhaps. Maybe I can just collect shoes only and not race anymore as a part of my mission for Soles4Souls?
Steadily step after step and obstacle after obstacle the finish line grew closer. A large mountain lied ahead and what was thought to be just a hill climb, turned out to be a hill climb AND sand bag carry. I asked the officials monitoring sandbags being picked up "Are all sandbags the same?" and he promptly responded "Yes, pick any one". As I lumped one over my shoulder and made headway up the hill, it felt like lugging all three of our children on my back. The competitors were on their knees stopped all over the mountain like some battle was being fought and the mountain was winning. Groans of pain, words of frustration as people tried to motivate themselves and as others tried to motivate each other. The first part of the hill, I was actually able to make up alot of ground and pass 4 competitors. What I thought was the top of the hill was actually just the halfway point. I fell to my back in exhaustion. Legs on fire, sun shining on my face, sandbag on the ground and competitors making headway.
This moment felt familiar. That point in time when something seems too hard and like you will never be able to overcome it. It would just be easier to give up right? Maybe there is a shortcut, a path less painful? Why did I choose this path? Doubt. Regret. Pain.
Then it popped in to my mind. "You can't give up. Never Give Up"....Ohhhh, why does that have to be "my" tagline I thought back, as a battle of the mind ensued. If only someone could have peeked in to my mind at that moment laughter would have surely followed.
The dirt of the mountain once again moving beneath my feet, sandbag on my shoulder and bursting forward with more power than ever. Passing competitors with each step and winning the battle vs the mountain. The doubt, regret, pain...washing away. More strength with each step, more confidence with each breath.
As the finish line approached I was now in full stride and although not a podium finisher in the women's elite, the victory in the will to persevere...to finish strong as my niece and family cheered me on filled my heart with joy.
Right after crossing the finish line, my niece ran to me arms wide open for a congratulatory hug. This was one of my favorite moments of the day.
As continued opportunity's to run as an elite OCR racer have come to fruition, the visibility for Soles4Souls has risen on the running circuit and through many running communities. THIS is why I race. Awareness.
After many obstacle races, many runners donate their shoes...more than any other race you will ever go to. Traveling the country running for Souls4Souls has continued to open up doors for them to bridge partnerships and I certainly hope this can continue. If you are a racer or a racing series looking for a shoe partner, first of all, thank you for the read! Second, you can contact Kelly Modena the Soles4Souls active division director at kellym@soles4souls.org
One of the other opportunities I look forward to is being able to share about Soles4Souls with anyone wondering why their is a sashed competitor with Soles4Souls all over her gear. This weekend before the race started, one of the Atlas race directors Lance Landers told the crowd about Soles4Souls as I was warming up for the race and told everyone to look for "Maggi in the pink shorts". Post race I was able to up on stage and the MC even asked to sport my sash for the crowd.
Scott Keneally of Rise of the Sufferfests did a one on one interview talking about Soles4Souls, the International Pageant and a re-cap of the Atlas Race. The full interview is below:
To wrap this up, my favorite moment of the day was watching my niece face a fear. She climbed a rope in front of a crowd and made it to the top! She was a little scared at first, but looked at me and said I inspired her then went for it. If there is any moment someones heart can melt, that was it. Everyone cheered her on and she also inspired other kids to try! Pay it forward friends :)
Warm Regards,
Maggi
Your Mrs. Great Plains International 2014
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