Team Talk: Let's 'Sparkle Up!'

Christina with her daughter, Caitlynn, at 2015 Women Run The Cities in Minneapolis


Have a short account or experience about your team that you’d like to share? Email it to us at julie@momsontherun.com and we’ll consider for a future installment.

Welcome to “Team Talk,” a series that will appear from time to time when YOU, our participants, have  inspirational stories to share. 

By Christina M.
White Bear Lake/Shoreview Moms on the Run
There is a type of strength that goes into motivation, the strength it takes to motivate you into getting up and getting out of the house when you don’t feel like running. Another long training run, the same type of training that has continued over the last 36 weeks, step after step fighting the battle between head and body. It can be exhausting.

Marathon training has put me through some pretty tough paces. It has pushed me further than I ever thought I could be pushed. But there is a kind of pride when you finally get the nerve to put on your running clothes, tie your hair back, get dressed and head out the door. But in one instance you decide to bring your team with you. You put on your Moms on the Run training shirt and a SparkleSkirt. This gives a whole new meaning to motivation. You feel the inner strength start to grow, and the adrenaline starts to flow. Once dressed you have the desire to make that shirt and SparkleSkirt perform, to be ‪#‎MOTRstrong!

You don’t want to disappoint. You dig deep and hit the pavement hard and push yourself to complete each mile with dignity and a smile. You may be alone physically but you know you have your teammates with you with every step. You just dig deep and keep pushing forward. To quote one of my mentors, Coach Beth Jensen, you “Sparkle Up!”

Sparkle Up I did. This last 12-mile training run was not fast or pretty, but mentally I finished strong. To me this is what is important -- finishing strong. Now it is time to taper and to take that same determination into the marathon. My mantra for all of my training runs has always been, “Dig Deep,” but it is now “Sparkle Up!”