Jim Silva: Boston Marathon finishers show anything is possible

Do you need your faith in humanity restored?

Watch a marathon.

Nothing is more inspiring than watching men and women reach their goals of completing a marathon.

The stories that are especially inspiring are those of people who are able to overcome remarkable odds to finish the 26.2 miles.

Two examples of such incredible stories came Monday at the Boston Marathon.

The first was Rebekah Gregory, who became an amputee at the Boston Marathon bombing two years ago. After more than 35 surgeries and with some incredible determination, Gregory returned to the race where she nearly lost her life. It was incredible to read her story and see her cross the finish line.

The second story was that of a Venezuelan man with muscular dystrophy who showed what it truly means to endure. It took Maickel Melamed nearly 20 hours to complete the marathon, finishing the final few miles in torrential rain and thunderstorms. His story was remarkable.

I am always moved and inspired by these kinds of stories.

We all have our things to overcome in life and in our fitness journey. These kinds of stories show that our spirit and determination can overcome great odds.

Since I ran the Surgical Artistry Modesto Marathon four weeks ago, I’ve been looking for some inspiration.

This is the time, a few weeks after completing a big goal, that I begin to feel a little lethargic. My body has fully recovered from the marathon, but my mind is still tired.

The question for my fitness journey is, what do I do now? What’s the next step?

I’ve been going to the gym and working on my strength. And I know I’ll continue to run. But I’m still looking for what my next goal will be.

As I was finishing the last few miles of the Modesto Marathon, I thought to myself “this is the last one.” But I don’t know if I still feel that way. Maybe I still have another marathon in me. I guess you could say I’m looking for the right inspiration.

We all could use some motivation in our lives. Thankfully there are plenty of stories – like those at the Boston Marathon – to help inspire us.

Local Boston Marathon finishers

Speaking of the Boston Marathon, I want to give a shout-out to the local runners who completed the marathon last week. Congratulations on your achievement!

Here’s the list: Brian Kasten, Modesto, 33, 3 hours, 42 seconds; Nathan Newman, Modesto, 41, 3:18.59; Allen Doty, Modesto, 56, 3:43.37; Alex Shoob, Modesto, 69, 4:43.34; Susan Cooper, Modesto, 50, 5:11.04; Julian Soriano, Oakdale, 46, 3:29.15; Tiffany McBroom, Ripon, 27, 3:11.37; Ramona Huerta, Ripon, 47, 4:08.43; Lisa Hieb-Stock, Sonora, 35, 3:31.25; Gary Deacon, Sonora, 55, 3:35.35; and Amanda Moreno, Patterson, 24, 3:53.03.

A challenge from a reader

I mentioned in my last column that I had completed the Four Mile trail at Yosemite. This drew an email from a reader inviting me to climb Half Dome.

I love a challenge, of course. But I’m not sure this is one I’m up to meeting. I have a pretty strong fear of heights. The Four Mile trail had some beautiful vantage points but also some portions with steep cliffs that had me feeling very uneasy.

Some colleagues have climbed Half Dome and tell me it’s a pretty steep challenge. I’m going to take some time to think this one through. Maybe I’ll need to work my way up to Half Dome, so to speak.

This story was originally published April 23, 2015 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Jim Silva: Boston Marathon finishers show anything is possible."