If I can do it...

As many of you know, I've spent the last year or so training for an eventual marathon. You may remember that I was nearly ready for that first race when I suffered a catastrophic ankle injury just 2 week prior to my first attempt. 3 months of almost no running and a long rehab brought me to August of this year when I began training again. Finally, this past Saturday, November 5, I ran and completed my very first marathon. Yep, I'm now a marathoner!

Hurrays and Good-Jobs aside, there's something to this that I think should apply to all milspouses, especially those who are in a deployment. You see, 100% of my training for this marathon was done while my wife has been gone. We all know that deployments suck. They have a way of making days much harder, longer, and far more tiring than they would normally be. Add to that the fact that having to do all of the things that would normally be shared between us and our spouses makes for a very busy time.

That said, I still found a way to get out and train and put in the time necessary to log those miles on the road in order to get ready. For three months I ran and ran and ran. One day a week I was out on the road for at least 4 hours. Put all of this together and you can imagine how much time was required to train for a marathon. And yet, I did it.

Here's the point: Whether it's a marathon or some other huge goal that you've always wanted to accomplish, being in a deployment doesn't mean you can't do it. Sure, there are challenges to face, and yes, it is more difficult. Deployments do make things more complicated. They don't, however, make accomplishing new things impossible.

There's something special about having a previously unreachable goal or dream become a reality during a deployment. There's a sense of triumph that lasts and helps make the separation a bit more bearable. What's more, the process of working towards that goal keeps us busy, occupies our mind and helps us to look forward instead of backward. We can look in the mirror and say, "I did this, in spite of everything else!"

Being in a deployment doesn't mean you stop living. It doesn't mean you have to put your dreams and goal on hold. Sure, you do have to get a bit creative in order to accomplish them, but it can be done. As a father of 4 children my responsibilities during this deployment are huge. There never seems to be enough hours in the day. That doesn't mean I get to use that as an excuse to stop living and doing the things I want to do. You have to find a way to make things happen and not allow yourself to put your life on hold for a year. A deployment should be a time of growth and new experiences, a chance to become a better YOU. Maybe it's not a marathon. Whatever your dream or goal is, get out there and start fighting for it. Make it happen. If I can get my fat rear out there, train for and run a marathon, then you certainly can get out there and accomplish whatever you have in your heart to do!

Free Blog Counter

You can follow me on Twitter if you so choose... @Armyspouse007