Wise little sister.

Injury's are discouraging. My sister Dawn sent me this letter the other day:

You decided to do this. You thought this would be an awesome thing to try to accomplish and a great way to get in fit and meet people and go back to Costa Rica. You thought, yes, let's train for this. I can make this happen. No one forced you to do this. You are not doing this for anyone else but yourself and that is how it should be. You have been doing the best that you can do while you train and you have been training HARD!! It doesn't matter what people do or say. The people that matter will never say anything negative about you and they certainly won't think less of you. And if they do, challenge them up the chief for chrissakes, you've earned this. You've earned it in spades. In all those mornings of early runs, and late evenings at the gym or on the bike or running again, you've earned where you are right now. All those times you thought "No, I can't go out and have a drink cause I have a run tomorrow" or "nope, can't buy that, I'm going to CostaRica" you've earned it then too.When you look in the mirror and think your butt looks fat?? Take a look back at some pictures and look at how far you've come. Look at the difference in your eyes, your skin, your happiness! Think of how many people you have inspired to get outside just because you do. They think, I want to be like her!!!So, yes, you are injured right now and starting to doubt everything and you are starting to get really nervous about whether or not you can do this. Don't. Think about how hard you have worked, how far you have come, what you have accomplished, what you can do now that you couldn't a year ago, how far you can run that you couldn't run that far two years ago!!! Think about how awesome it will be when you are in Costa Rica. And when you are there just think about one day at a time. Not all six days. Think about how there isn't any pressure about your performance-yes there is the time limits each day and the amount of kms...but you aren't defending a title. Yes, you have friends and family thinking about you while you do this but you aren't a defending champion or anything. Yet! All you have to do is look after yourself and do the best that you can. You are not out to prove anything to anyone or outdo someone. And if all else goes to shit and you don't make it to Costa or you make it there and have to pull out days in...you are not the first athlete to get hurt. You are not the first one to be injured or pull out of a race. These things happen and it will suck and it will hurt and you'll be disappointed but there are always other races. The loss in money will be the hardest part to swallow, I know. For that I have no solution. But don't injure your self more because you don't want to stop because of the money.All this is said in nothing but love and support for you so if it comes off as snotty, rude or mean, it's not supposed to be. I just read a little bit of the 4 agreements before I went to bed last night, mostly the "Always do your best" and it kind of struck a chord with me. Know that I love you and am so proud of everything you've accomplished and how far you've come.

Dawno