Lengths to go through for a trinket

Once upon a time...I thought running was a good idea. Did I start small? With the gateway run of a 5K (3.1 miles) for some charity? Nah. Too easy. I did a 50K (31 miles [no "." in this distance]) prior to a marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K or a 100 meter sprint. I remember thinking "What's the worst that could happen?' and replying to myself with "oh, I could die." So I did it. Up and down a mountain and over a mile of boulders alone. Please note, after this, I decided to go to shorter distances like just simple marathons. The funny thing is, I didn't even do it for the normal motivations of a medal and a t-shirt. Nope, I got a off-German toy.

What I learned this day, just shy of 16 hours straight, is that I could do it. It was more mental than physical. Though I have never been "fit" knowing I could do something felt empowering. I had been told too many times in my life that 'they' thought I couldn't do something. They being adults, superiors, or authorities. But I could, and I did, even though it was mostly on my own.

I learned that I am a completer, not a compete-r,  and on this day, I earned the title of "Ultra Marathoner."