Jumping In With Both Feet

by Clara Grandt on November 21, 2011

Happy November!  Many marathon runners know that November means about two more months to the Olympic Trials marathon!  With that on the horizon, training should be getting pretty serious for everyone participating in the Trials .  To me, that means doing everything I can to make sure I give myself the best shot at making the Olympic team.  Training hard, getting enough rest, preventing injuries, hydrating and eating right, and dreaming big are all part of that preparation. 

So, in order to ensure I can properly prepare myself, I made a decision to take a temporary leave from my job at Healthworks.  For nearly two years I have worked at Healthworks, a fitness and rehab facility.  I started out as a lifeguard, became an aquatics instructor, and I’ve also been working with patients since I graduated with an emphasis and certificate in aquatic therapy, along with my exercise physiology degree.

 My boss and coworkers have been great in understanding and working with my training and traveling schedule.  Brian (my boss) and his wife compete in Ironman triathlons.  Therefore, they understand how important preparing for the Trials is to me.  Brian said he’d let me take time off when I told him I was hoping to train full-time for the Trials for a couple months, but only if I promised to return again.  The support from Mizuno had allowed me this option to take some time off of work, so I figured I should seize the opportunity to put more into my training and preparation for this race than I ever have.

On my last day, my aquatics mobility class had a little surprise “good luck” party for me.  There were a few tears, lots of hugs, and at that moment, since most of the participants in the class I teach are much older than me, I felt like I had a family of many grandparents.   I realized then just how much I wanted to make them proud, as well as go for it for my own self.  The support I got from everyone at Healthworks (the staff, fitness members, and patients) was incredible. 

With the support of Mizuno and so many people cheering for me, I am feeling great about taking this time to focus on one goal: do the very best I can at the Trials!  I know I am young and could have quite a few chances left, but I believe you must always put everything you can into such an opportunity each chance you get.  Therefore, I’m hoping that I can return on my first day back to the pool feeling like I have made the people I left proud, no matter the outcome, and maybe, just maybe, I will have an ever bigger marathon to think about by then! 

Thanks for reading!

Clara