Channeling NYC

Another Halloween has come and gone...Around our house, Thanksgiving colors replace the glitter skulls and other morose things I consider "fun" Halloween decor. This weekend was not just filled with ghosts and goblins. It was not just about the Aggies whipping some tail at Kyle Field (thank goodness). It was also about me. Jogging 5 miles. The entire thing without stopping to walk.

---angels sing here---

Yeah, I don't know how it happened. I awoke at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning and was refreshed by my early bedtime the night before and the extra hour of sleep (thank you, Mr. Daylight Savings man!). I checked the temperature outside: 47 degrees. Naturally, I put on my spandex shorts and a short sleeve running t-shirt. I chose to forgo the jacket and it's a good thing because after about 2 minutes I would have taken it off anyway.

Miles 1 and 2 are always the most difficult but at the end of mile two, I suddenly remembered something: today was the New York City Marathon. Then it hit me as I glanced at my watch: they are running right now just like me.

Now most of you might be saying, "Yeah, I don't give a flying flip about New York," but there's just something about that city that I love. I first went to the Big Apple at age 15 and instantly felt at home. It's a city of magic, a city of fun, a city of love--all the things that captivate me and my hopeless romantic imagination...I forever am indebted to it--it will always be the city that brought my husband and me together.

As I'm running I'm thinking about all of these things and started to imagine what it was like to be there..running in the mecca of all marathons. I kind of pretended I was there. The air was cold, just like I knew it was in New York. Instead of still houses and lifeless streets where I was running, I imagined Central Park with people cheering me on to the finish.

We all know good and well I will never complete a marathon (and for good reason) but that one simple visualization kept me going, foot in front of foot until...Shazaam! 5 miles done and I wasn't even out of breath! The hip is another story but I don't want to ruin a good thing here so we'll just forget about that for now.

Never in a million years did I think I'd be able to run 5 miles. And as I walked into my house to stretch when it was over I walked in the door and had to smile at what I saw:
The New York City skyline framed by an autumn branch in our living room. Hey, I may never run the NYC Marathon, but these little goals make me feel just as good as crossing that finish line in Central Park. I challenge you to set a goal for yourself and work hard to reach it...nothing is impossible!