I MADE IT!

Can you believe I DID IT? I ran 39 straight days. Never taking "a day off" and giving myself the pass for just having a hard day. I had to take a self portait every day which is why I have all these ridiculous pictures. This is the last 10 days of the running streak in images. 

Right after I got off a plane with my kids from Colorado. I ran a mile in Matt's parents neighborhood. I felt like crap.

The very next morning, I ran with Amy Noll in MY neighborhood. Before I got on a bus with 55 high school kids. I felt even more nuts. 

The next day? I WAS IN DENVER. How did that happen? I rode a bus all night long and all day long. To be sure, the thing my body needed was a nice run. So Natalie Knauer and I ran along 16th Street in downtown Denver. It was truly glorious. We had a stranger take our picture.

The next day we ran early in the morning in Denver. But then the NEXT DAY, we were in camp for our run. We ran 2 miles up to this sign. And about died. 

We did the same thing the next day. 

And the next day. We were getting tired. But we did it anyway.

And every day that we were there. The final day-we saw a Moose and a BABY moose. It was so freaking awesome. I mean awesome.  

Then we left camp. And spent 36 hours on a bus. And ate McDonalds. Instead of eating McDonalds, I ran a mile. In Kansas City. It was a better choice. I was glad for the running thing. Even though high school kids thought I was insane and then I had to get back onto the icebox we called a bus for the next 20 hours. 

I made it home! To this sweet guy! We watched Marley and Me on the bus and I felt badly going running without him. So...I saddled him up the next morning and we went running. 

We left the next day to go to South Carolina. The area we went to asked for a little exploring and I found this house built in 1777 and it house General Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War. Pretty dang cool for the day before July 4! 

ANNNNNNND I made it! 4th of July means I made it 39 days straight. It definitely challenged me and I loved that. It was so weird not to run on July 5th. I ran on July 6th just cause I couldn't help it. 

Now, I just scheduled out the next four months of running as I gear up for the NYC Marathon and I am not going to lie, it is DAUNTING. I ran a few 1/2 marathons this Spring and let me just tell you--marathon preparation is NOTHING like 1/2 marathon prep. I am super nervous. Add on top a little challenge I like to call fundraising for Inheritance of Hope and this is a pretty big mountain for me.

But, looking back over the past two months and seeing how this running streak was accomplished, I feel confidence knowing that all I have to do is look ahead and take it one mile at a time.

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we can not see. Hebrews 11:1

Go here to join my support team for the Inheritance of Hope:
http://inheritanceofhope.org/leslie-sloan-2232