That's it, I commit!

This afternoon, I am fully charged with a sense of renewal, excitement and energy! Today’s sunshine and mild temperatures are a powerful intoxicant to my weakened system, and for that, I am truly thankful.

For several years now, a personal goal of mine has been to complete a half-marathon. Plagued with self-doubt, fear and lack of 100% dedication, I have put it off. This year, though, the niggling in my brain has been getting more irritating to a point where I simply don’t want to let myself down; I want to prove it to myself that I can do it!! What initially gave me the push to go for it this year was the call for applications for CBC’s Gotta Run weekly segment. As some of you know, I sent in an application to be part of a 12-member group that trains for the Ottawa ING half marathon in May as a tv crew follows the group’s progress. Unsurprisingly, I was not selected from the 500+ applicants, and for a week or two, I let my goal slip from consciousness.

A few weeks later, I got an email from the CBC inviting me to participate in a special Running Room clinic organized just for those 488 applicants who weren’t selected for the group. I hummed and haahed about registering, because once I registered – that was it, I’d be committed. Well, after a few days, I sucked it up and registered. And now, to ensure complete commitment and to reassure myself that I have support, I am telling people I’m doing this. No backing out now!

BUT – today! – with this incredible warm, mild sun shining in my face, I finally feel thrilled at the prospect of accomplishing this goal! I am excited to join in the Running Room group run tomorrow (it’s only 3km, haha!) and to finally get this ball rolling. I know there will be hard days that will challenge me physically and mentally, but today, I don’t care about that. If I can climb an endless Himalayan mountain for 7 days straight, I can certainly train 3 months for a 21.1 km race. Besides, I’m already running 15km during my weekly long runs, so I’m ahead of the game! (I think my biggest challenge will be running outdoors in the winter…can’t say I’m a fan of those artic winds blasting my face and numbing my joints).

Plus, tonight I begin Level III in boxing. I am so looking forward to progressing to this level…time for more of a challenge!

Bring it on, I say! I am ready for spring; I am ready for new important, personal challenges; and I am ready to commit!

And I have decided to revamp the name of this blog, seeing as there is a keen lack of "he said" on the site. I have decided to make it my own. So stayed tuned on it's new name....just have to figure that out....