I might even be an athlete

I've decided over the course of the past few days to start thinking of myself as an athlete, as opposed to thinking of myself as a person who just works out. I like the idea of training for something...of pushing myself to the limit, and past it, of having goals in my mind that don't have to make sense to anyone else.
You could say I was inspired by the Olympics, even though I saw very little of them. But the 20 seconds I did see contained the women's marathon runners. Derek told me that the woman who won was 38. I'm 32. Do you think I could be in Olympic shape in 6 years? (Nevermind that there won't be a summer Olympics 6 years from now.) And what does their training schedule look like, anyway? I'd really like to know.
I think the most accurate statement would be that the Olympics pushed me over the edge in what my mind was already leaning towards. I remember hearing Elisabeth Hasslebeck say once that when she works out, she works out like she's training for something...like she did when she was an athlete in college. I loved hearing that. That is how I like to work out. (although I was never an athlete in college or high school...it's just how I like to work out now.)
When I'm running, I feel like I am pushing myself as hard as I can go. I don't know how to describe it, but when I get past the pain and despair of the thing, I just feel like I'm as alive as I can be. And when the run is over? I'm ready to give an acceptance speech for the award of kicking my own butt.
I know a lot of people who train for events, like half marathons, triathlons, etc. that are taking place on a specific date. So far, I have not been inspired to join any of them. I guess the formal races don't interest me much, and for no specific reason that I can put my finger on. I guess for the time being, I'm just content to be self motivated, to keep running and training like I'm training for something big...even though I have no idea what that is.
(Um, how about "the sport of LIFE." the idea that you keep going, keep going, don't give up, because you are committed to the thing, you stick it out and see it through to the end for no other reason than that you haven't finished yet...even if it's the hardest thing you've ever done, and you're not even to the half way point yet...)
Food for thought.

When the 11.5 mile run was over and showered off, the kids and I spent time goofing around...and yes, we are all mad posers today. And yes, I can freely admit my picassa addiction, my tendency to shamelessly overload the viewers with more pictures of us than you ever thought were possible, just because I felt like making another collage. Because I can, kids. Because I can.