I love the Boston Marathon. I love runners, in general. I have never felt more emotional watching a race/marathon than I did at the 25.5 mark during yesterday's Boston Marathon. As I watched and cheered on each racer that went by, I knew that they all have a story. Some ran for their own personal goals. Some for the pure competitiveness of the sport. Others for a charity that is near and dear to their heart. More for specific individuals who are directly benefiting from the money raised for this race. The determination and dedication in their eyes was incredible.

I saw a woman with "F 80+" on the back of her shirt... SERIOUSLY? 80 years old and running probably her 20th marathon... who knows, but you know what, she looked so strong... a steady stride almost at the finish line. I saw another man holding his daughter's hand. Then, I saw two of my friends go by and I basically lost it.

It's incredible, really. What was and is more incredible (and, I think, why I was more emotional than ever) is that these runners completed this task in extreme heat. If you are a runner, you already know that running three miles in 80+ degree weather is no small task. These runners went 26.2 miles in 80+ degree weather.

If you are sitting here today with any goal in mind such as... changing up your diet to be healthier, going after your first 5k race, starting a group exercise class, hiking up a mountain, giving up dessert for a week, starting at the gym, increasing the speed on the treadmill for a full 5 minutes, whatever it is... think of these individuals. The determination and will power to train for months, stay healthy and then complete (or come close to completing) 26.2 miles in extreme heat should be motivation enough. You can skip dessert tonight, go faster for 5 minutes, start a running program, eat clean for a week, go to the gym, etc etc etc.

Is that not motivation enough? Well what about this... many of these runners ran for a charity or an individual benefiting from a charity and THAT was their motivation. Not weight loss, not competition ... they did it because they knew that their daughter, son, mother, father, friend, or a child or individual in need was directly benefiting from their hard work. Children with type 1 diabetes who have been back and forth to treatments for years. Mothers, aunts, fathers, cousins, friends who have battled cancer. I could go on and on.

My point is... there is nothing you cannot do if you have the will power (not to get too deep) but, if you have a goal in mind... Think of these runners, remind yourself of their accomplishments.(Or, think of ANYONE who has accomplished a huge goal that took a ton of determination and will power. It doesn't necessarily have to be a runner or an athlete. ((that's just my best example for the day ;))

Ok that's all I have on that subject. In lighter news... I made a pretty good, healthy, green salad tonight. Here's the recipe and photo:

- Arugula

- Green beans

- 1/2 cup chickpeas

- Tomato

- Tbs of pumpkin seeds

- Tbs of crumbled feta

Mix and dress with:

Lemon juice, 1/2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil, tsp of apple cider vinegar (fat burner)

Have an awesome week!