Lofty Goals

Recently, I decided to take on a very daunting challenge and turn it into a goal. I am going to participate in the Avon 2 Day walk to support breast cancer research. I have to raise a certain amount of funds to be able to participate and I have to be able to walk almost 40 miles. I get 2 days to walk 40 miles, but still, I have turned a corner. For many years I have looked at my husband as some sort of genetic mutant (sorry honey) for wanting to run marathons and ultramarathons and ultra ultra marathons. And here I am, attempting to walk a marathon one day and a half marathon the next day. The voice of caution must have been on vacation the day I signed up for it. But it's for a good cause and I hope the readers of this blog support me.

What I didn't take into consideration was the fact that you have to train to be able to go out and walk 26 miles one day and 13 miles the next. My idea of training and regimen is to get fired up and exercise for two days, have a setback on the third and bag the whole thing on the fourth day, consoling myself with the very same confection (cake, ice cream, Tagalongs, etc) that had me making the resolution in the first place!!! However, this time is different. This time, people have shown, and continue to show, that they believe in me. The outpouring of support has been amazing. Friends and family have contributed monetarily and with strong showings of moral support so I have taken this training seriously.

The fact that I am taking this training seriously has affected my interpersonal relationships, I gotta be honest. I look for suckers, er, I mean partners, to train with me. Failing that, I bring Kaitlyn along in her stroller. People refuse to look me in the eye as I pass them in the hallway on my way to my lunchtime walks so they won't be roped in too! Friends have stopped returning phone calls just to avoid my cajoling! However, this past weekend, I was able to find two suckers, er, I mean wonderful friends, to participate in a 5k with me. I walked a VERY brisk 5k with my friends Jennie, Megan and the ever patient Kaitlyn. We had a phenomenal finish time (nearly linking arms like sweaty Bobsey Twins....er, Triplets I guess), supported a really great cause and left the race patting ourselves on the back for our outstanding race! Kaitlyn, not being used to getting up at 6 am was less than enthused. Jennie was able to capture it in the picture you see at the beginning of the post.

I know this is only the beginning of many many 5ks to come and I can't help feeling that I've stumbled onto something great. Don't expect me to run any time soon (or ever), my friends! I may have set a lofty goal, but I haven't lost my mind just yet!