Good things come after Moeller waits

If only it was this easy - being patient and waiting for things to come.

As I shared with you last spring, I was on a quest to qualify for my third Olympic Trails. I qualified in 2008 (placing 10th in Boston) and again in 2012 (injuring myself just days before the race in Houston, resulting in a DNF) and had my heart set on a third (and final) trials in 2016.

Andy and I had the pleasure of sharing this experience with Ryne (now 10) during my first attempt. Both he and Evelyn (now 6) made the trip to Houston for the big dance and I had this yearning to finish the story with Andy and all three of our children having the opportunity to make one last trip to an Olympic Trials together.

I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse, but my siblings and I like to blame our personalities on our Irish mom and German dad. As you might imagine, we are somewhat determined and can be more than a little stubborn at times.

Following my failed attempt last spring, our family did some serious soul-searching. We knew we had a busy summer/fall ahead and me training for a marathon hadn't been in the plans. However, we all believed - with additional hard work, determination, and patience - good things would come to those who wait.

And so it began, another marathon training cycle building up to the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11, 2015. With the Trials set for Feb. 13, 2016, we all knew this was likely my last chance. Picking a flat and fast course I was familiar with seemed to be the best recipe for success.

So, one day at a time, one mile at a time, one workout at a time, one long run at a time, we remained focused, we remained patient and remained confident that, with time, my body would ultimately be prepared for the task at hand - sustain sub 6:13 mile pace for 26.2 miles in order to run faster than 2:43 and qualify.

After struggling through the humid summer mornings, the fall weather felt like a dream as I approached my final phase of training in the weeks leading up to the marathon. My fitness was improving with each workout and, more than anything, my confidence was increasing.

Admittedly, the turning point was one Sunday afternoon when I was resting on the couch and mulling over my latest long run. As I lay there, I asked Andy what he thought of my training so far. Did he think I was capable of qualifying? His response, 'there's not a doubt in my mind that you can do this.” The tone in his voice was so emphatic and so convincing that it occurred to me I needed to stop worrying and doubting myself and start believing this was going to happen.

And so it was. In the early morning hours leading up to the 7:30 a.m. race start, my body was shaking from nervousness, excitement and anxiety. Ryne and Evelyn accompanied Andy and me to Chicago for their first experience at a major marathon. I loved watching their thrill and excitement as we experienced the race expo and observed the thousands of runners and spectators taking to the streets of Chicago to witness this humanity about to embark on the 26.2 mile journey.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, the race began and I was finally running. Seeing Andy and the kids at miles 1 and 3 was awesome. Seeing their faces along the course reminded me of a goofy movie quote Ryne pulls out from time to time - 'those eyes would be big on a cow!” The look of excitement and anticipation they had on their faces was priceless.

From mile 3, I knew I wouldn't see them again until the halfway mark. After starting the race with splits closer to 6 flat, I was finally settling into a more conservative pace of 6:08-6:11 and feeling great. I was confident. I was in control.

Seeing the crew at the halfway mark was great - big smiles from everyone. I was halfway. Little did I know, the wind was going to become more of a factor in the second half of the race.

Thank goodness for those stubborn genes mom and dad passed along. I refused to let Mother Nature win this battle. Forcing myself to stay relaxed and trust my training, I continued to tackle the remaining miles one at a time.

As I passed Andy and the kids with less than 800 meters to go, I was pretty sure this dream of mine was finally going to come true. With 33 ticks on the clock to spare, I qualified for the Trials with a time of 2:42:27. Certainly not my fastest marathon, but my ticket to Los Angeles was punched. We finally did it.

Apparently good things do come to those who wait - and work hard and believe.

After a little celebrating, we took the plunge and booked our flights to L.A. for our big trip in February 2016. I'm still relishing in the accomplishment as I enjoy a couple more weeks of low mileage. However, it won't be long and I'll be gearing up for another big dance.

Surely we'll need to remind ourselves of the importance of patience, confidence and maintaining a positive attitude throughout the upcoming 15 weeks filled with chaos and fun as our family navigates through the holidays, kids' activities, jobs and life in general.

However, we all remain steadfast in believing good things come to those who wait.

Bring on Feb 13, 2016. Let the fun continue.

Happy running.