I’m tired. My legs hurt. My body would love a little break.

I’m at that point in the preparation that’s just quite tough. I know it’s necessary, and I’ve been here before. I know this is what it takes to have a chance of doing well in the marathon. But when you’re running this much, your mind gets a little foggy, and you feel a little numb. I was expecting it, but it’s never fun!

But talking to my girlfriend at home gave me the thing that we often lose in situations like this: perspective. The perspective to see that I’m in the last push towards a goal that has inspired me for over ten years. To see I’m preparing for it in a beautiful place, surrounded by some of my best friends, people that care for me and that help me to be at my very best. To see that my friends and family are getting ready to celebrate that moment with me soon.

This helped me to understand that this feeling of fatigue is just that. A feeling. It doesn’t get to decide how I’m going to go about these next few weeks. I’m going to be smart, but not complacent.

I’m going to keep pushing because we’re almost there. Just two more weeks of hard work before the taper starts. The last bit of physical preparation before the mental game starts. It’s the part that decides if you got a shot at doing something cool in Paris. As we get closer to the race and everything is going well, I’m getting some hopes and expectations of what might be possible on August 10th!

And then came the best part… I received a video from my girlfriend entitled “Micky, we got your back”. She got my friends and family to record a video with their words of support! A half hour of encouragements of the people closest to me. This will get me through the next weeks of hard work, possibly with watery eyes from being blown away by the love I received.

This was just the push I needed, we’re ready for the last few hard efforts!