No Day But Today

Sometimes something happens to you and it changes who you are, sometimes something happens and it changes everything.  In May I decided it was time for a change. I was sick of feeling like I was living in someone elses  skin. When I would see photographs of myself I was in disbelief of how overweight I had become without even noticing. I photo shopped myself in EVERY picture since 2001.  Change can be scary for some people, but for me its like a drug. I thrive on new ideas, new experiences, and new friends. I started going to the YMCA religiously. I met new people who became instant friends. They noticed when I lost weight, they congratulated me on finishing classes, they encouraged me to keep going, I made a decision early on that I would run. I never ran before, except this once when my 1 year old darted toward the street and I bolted about 20 feet to swoop him up before sudden danger. My entire decision making on running was based on a simple observation- you never see obese people running on the side of the road. Runners aren't fat. It may seem superficial but it was motivational. none the less. So I ran, I went about 1/2 a block and had to walk.  It was harder than it looked.  Persuaded by Peer Pressure  I signed up for my first race, The Pufferbilly 5K. Now it was time to get serious. I never pictured myself running a mile, , much less a race. I was to top heavy for running, I bounced far too much people would stare and likely wreck into trees.  I ran with friends a few times a week.to prepare. I had worked my way up to running a mile without stopping in 3 weeks. Pretty impressive in my own personal runners world. The morning of the race I woke up to a silent house. 6 am is very early in the Moore household-- I got dressed and went to the start point. While standing in line for a number and bag, I felt like an impersonator, like at any moment someone was going to laugh and ask if I was joking. No one laughed. I saw my friends and when the start gun went off I felt a burst of energy. I jogged slowly by my friends, it was cool and a little foggy. No one was out except the runners, once you get past the start line it thins out and its every  man for himself. It was like a scene from a movie, almost spiritual to listen to my breath, the sounds of my shoes hitting the pavement, cool air breeze and everyone around me doing the exact same thing but all in their own little bubble of  self challenge. My legs started getting tired at about the 1.5 mile mark. I just kept thinking that if I can just run to the end of the block, if I can just run to that tree up there, if I can just catch up to that girl ahead. It worked. I ran a race. When I ran past the finish line I teared up. It was my mental trophy.   In 6 months, I lost 60 pounds and went from a size 24 to a 12. I did no specific diet. I used the oldest trick in the book  I ate less, and exercised more.  From this one race a dream was born. A few of the ladies decided to start a running club and I joined in. This blog is about my journey to complete a years worth of races. I vow in front of the entire world.-- that I will run 12 races in 12 months and chronicle the journeys of our "Dirty Skirts!"   "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."