Dream Big Run Long is my personal mantra.
On a run one day I was thinking about how much I like my initials. This may seem like a weird thing for someone to think about, but when your name is Dorothy you do allot of thinking about your name. I have gotten asked my whole life if i like the name. I’ve also endured countless jokes about it. We aren’t in Kansas any more are we. Why don’t you just follow the yellow brick road. I don’t mind them. I might think you are a few brain cells short if you say something to me about my name, but I don’t take any offense to it. Why? Because I LOVE my name. It’s unique.
Typically people tell me that their great aunt or grandmother is named Dorothy. Old names are coming back in style – Stella, Sophie, Sadie, Emma – for some reason, that I still don’t understand, Dorothy is NOT back. I’m okay with it. It just means when I tell you my name, you will more than likely remember it because you don’t hear it every day. I digress.
My last name before I got married started with T. I was at the end of the alphabet. Always listed last in class as a child, and last in race results as an adult. When I got married, I moved up in the alphabet to a B. My friends called me DT, so it only seemed natural to keep the T as my middle intial instead of Lesley [my moms name]. So now I’m DB or DTB. I digress.
DB stands for Dorothy Beal or as I now like to think, DREAM BIG. I love running and I especially love running long. Dream Big Run Long.
Sunday I ran my last 20 miler before Columbus Marathon and Marine Corps Marathon. It was not my best run, but I won’t say it was my worst. I felt like I was going to throw up the whole time, but I pushed through and finished the last miles strong and in the 7’s thanks to a friend.
Monday I took a rest day.
Today I woke up and felt like I needed to DREAM BIG.
I would attempt a single stroller timed mile, since it’s the only timed mile I have tried with a running stroller yet. The 4th mile of my run was a 6:08 – slower than my triple stroller mile, but faster than my double stroller mile. I was happy! I slowed up the pace for a little and was going to end my run at 6 miles. Colton was sleeping and something inside of me told me to DREAM BIGGER. I would RUN LONG.
13.1 miles for a new single running stroller distance PR, up from the 11 miles of my previous record.
I Dream Big and Run Long because I am Dorothy Beal and I don’t know how to live life any other way.
