A few days ago, I finally applied for a passport.

You see, I need a passport to finish my marathon.  It starts out in New York, runs along Niagara Falls, and ends in Canada.

I’d put off applying for the passport because A) I’m busy.  B) I’m easily distracted/forgetful. and C) It’s the last step in accepting the fact that I will be running 26.2 miles on October 24th.

The most I’ve run so far is 18 miles and my toenails about fell off.  Not to mention other physical side effects, such as, well, PAIN, and losing feeling in my fingertips when washing my hair minutes after my run.  I didn’t have time to really even pause between my run and my shower because I didn’t want to be late for church.  That, and I was afraid if I sat down I wouldn’t ever get back up again.

And a marathon is 8.2 MORE miles.  So that’s why I procrastinated.  A passport takes 4-6 weeks to come back.  And by the time I filled out my papers, I had less than six weeks left before my race.  Secretly, I’m hoping that it won’t come in time and the Mounties will stop me from crossing the border and finishing the race.

Because I am much afraid of the 26.2 miles.

So much so that I had nightmares that night.

I dreamed I was running the marathon.  I was incredibly weak and slow.  My legs were like lead and I simply could not run.  It didn’t help that the course was incredibly unorganized and instead of running along the falls, we were running through stores! Yep, throngs of customers were walking downstream as I tried to get my pathetic limbs to propel me upstream.

I was so frustrated.  And then, I realized – It’s still September!! I had gotten the date wrong and had had to start the marathon without finishing my training!  Six weeks shy, no less!

But I was determined to try to make it.  I would run, and walk.  Run, and walk.  Stop at every water stop they had and then force myself onward.

Until I got to the border and realized I didn’t have my passport.  Because, you know, I had only filled out the papers that morning.

I couldn’t even finish the race.

So was it a nightmare?  Or a dream come true?

I knew one thing for sure:  it was very embarrassing to have to walk all the way back to the starting line, get in my car, and go home.

Have any of you readers out there run a marathon before?  Did it give you nightmares, too?  Or am I special…. 🙂