The amazing part is that when I chatted with her post-race, it really didn't even seem like she had a good day. The weekend started with me having to bail out on traveling to Chicago, as we both decided it was too much time away from kids, dogs and work, especially so close to a recent vacation. There was a considerable lack of sleep on Friday night as a result of some snoring issues in a shared hotel room. There was some crazy cold weather to start the day. There were allergies (Jackson has not been an entirely positive addition to the Cady household). There were cramped legs with eight miles to go. There was a really odd feeling to our conversation that she didn't even run her best race.
Oh yeah. And there was another new record.
I still don't completely understand the marathon deal. It is such a huge commitment (bigger than I can make) and it is so taxing that I have been pushing for the past couple of years that Lauren shift her focus to half-marathons to reduce the workload (and potentially include me in the races). But I'm beginning to realize that you don't always choose the thing that drives you or the thing you excel at. I think that trying to reign her in to shorter distances would be like sending me to Jackson Hole for a week to ski the beginner trails. Cool to be there and certainly some level of fun, but I would probably leave feeling like I hadn't really seized the day. Lauren is now seizing her marathon days with the best of them, and 'effortlessly' is probably not the right word, but she's cruising. On the great ski days, we talk about hitting a sweet spot where everything comes pretty easily. You stop being amazed and just enjoy it without thinking about the effort involved. That's where I am as a spectator now. I continue to be proud and impressed, but I have come to expect greatness in these runs and she keeps delivering.
Congratulations, Lar! See you in Boston.
