Way More Than Just Ink

I ran my first marathon on October 16, 2010.  That 4 month journey was a tribute to my mom.  I figured if she could endure months and months of chemo and radiation treatments, as well as all of the side effects that go along with that (weakness, nausea, loss of hair, loss of fingernails & toenails, extreme sensitivity to sunlight...just to name a few), I could endure training and 26.2 miles at the end.  My original marathon blog post is here. 

During that 4 months, I really learned a lot about myself.  Things that surprised me, actually.  I learned that I can overcome fear and self-doubt.  I learned that I can do things that I never imagined I could.  I learned that the mind is so much more powerful than the body.  I learned that I am strong, stronger than I ever thought I was...not physically, but mentally.  A marathon is so much more than running.  It's proving to yourself that, for the right reasons, you can accomplish anything.

Ever since I finished the marathon, I've been wanting to get a tattoo to commemorate that event and all of the meaning behind it.  But, when am I ever near a tattoo shop?  When would I ever take time out of my day to find one?  Well, Grady and I were in Las Vegas last week on a business trip.  We had a couple afternoons of free time so we went exploring.  My original plan was to get a small 26.2 on my toe.  However, after being told that tattoos on hands and feet don't hold up very well, I decided to get it on my inner ankle.  The whole process took about 10 minutes.  It literally took the tattoo artist longer to set up his equipment than the actual tattooing.  Right when I was getting used to it, it was over.  So easy!  I love my little tattoo and everything that it represents.