encouragement

Way to go, Iowans for Africa! Laura Hoy here. I was the blog author last year during marathon training, and Jess and Don have done an excellent job authoring it this year! I've opted this year to step into running with my 11 year old daughter, Sara. She's interested, so instead of training for a 1/2 or my 2nd marathon, the timing was right for me to spend this summer jogging with her and setting our first race goal together....the Park to Park 10K on Sept. 11.

We drove to Pfeiffer this morning at 8 a.m.to jog four miles. What a great sight to see the parking lot stuffed full of cars and to see so many of you on the trail this morning! The "hello's", "good jobs", "way to go's" put a little extra spring in our steps this morning! I can't tell you how proud I am of all of you, and how jazzed up I was to see many familiar faces and many new faces out there this morning! You're doing spectacular in your training!

Encouragement was SOOO key for me last year. It made the greatest difference for me! The cheers each week from coach and teammates and the parade of encouragement throughout the Chicago marathon were keys to my finishing, for sure. In fact, the encouragement made such an impact that the other day when RAGBRAI rode through, I stood cheering in my friend's yard who lives on the route just 3 miles south of the Waterloo destination Thursday. She lives on the top of a hill, and bikers had already ridden 80 miles that day. I clapped and woot-woot'ed for folks for over two hours straight. It gives such a boost to tired minds and bodies, as I'm sure you are discovering!

So, keep up the great work, everyone! I absolutely KNOW that you can achieve the finish line of that marathon in October! What is encouragement but to "give courage" to someone? May God give you all the courage you need to keep going...right foot, left foot...on the race marked before you-both for the marathon and for your whole life!