Speak for yourself!

Okay, this post has been in my head for a while now. Please forgive me if I sound too big headed or self righteous - those are my two biggest character flaws and I am well aware of them. My husband says that's why he never tells me I'm doing a great job because I do enough of it for him. Anywho.. back to the point of this post. I've been reading a lot of posts from back of the pack runners lately. And you know what, good for them! They are getting out there and doing something and I think that's fantastic. Now I figure is time for a post from a former back of the packer, now middle of the packer, future front of the packer (stole that from a friend I know..., but I liked it so going with it.)

For those that don't know me gonna get a little personal here and reach out on some of the things I have accomplished in my life and why I dream big and why I say speak for yourself! First off I'm a Navy veteran. Boot camp was tough! I am a big wuss, girly girl through and through, but I like the challenge and marathon, babies, anything else in my life that has come has spun off of that first accomplishment. The military forever changes a person, develops character, persistence, pride, something you just can't find anywhere else. Second big game changer Justmommies.com - this is my sister's biggest pride and she often asks me why I don't rank that first on my list of things I'm proud of. My sister and I started Justmommies.com in 2004 with nothing more than 2 computers (one picked up for $45 at a garage sale because she couldn't afford a computer and I love her so much.) Justmommies grew to over 1/2 million visitors before we sold. I am no longer part owner of Justmommies, nor employee, but I will say that JM pushed along my big dreaming! People told us we couldn't do it then and my sister and I said we dream big!

Number 3 changer - don't ask me why this moment sticks out in my head so much, but it does. Sometime when Leo was a baby and I was massively overweight at the time. Some of you all haven't seen my fat pictures and may delude yourself into believing that being thin and in shape just comes easy to me - Before and After Pics Anyhow,I was at this Christmas party and there was a older gal sitting next to me. Then there was this other gal dressed in some skimpy party dress who looked pretty dang good. The older gal sitting next to me says "We'll never look that good again..." and the whole time I thought to myself... "SPEAK FOR YOURSELF".

Now, this brings me full circle back to the start of my post and my wonderful running friends. As a middle of the pack runner now, I hear things like "we'll never be that fast" and the like and all that runs through my head on this one is "SPEAK FOR YOURSELF". I may be slow right now, but I dream big! Just like when I started Justmommies with 4 people, my sister and I KNEW we could do it. Welp, guess what that's how I feel about running right now too. I KNOW I can do this. Now, don't get me wrong I don't mean I'm gonna go out and win the world Olympics. I'm delusional, not stupid. I am after all almost 39 years old. I am going to nursing school so have a pretty good familiarity with physiology. I am not in my prime, but all that being said, I am a pretty determined individual, big headedness or not, oh well. I plan to rock on this summer. I got a big dream right now and that's sub 4 for Chicago! Oh and since I pick a mantra for every marathon I run, I got mine picked for Chicago. First marathon I think was "Stick to the Plan". Second one was "Make it Count". Third marathon was "Never Give Up". Well, guess what my mantra is for Chicago "Heart and Soul". Stay tuned for great things to come from me. I'm gonna try to actually blog my way through training on this one and not be the slacker blogger you know and love that only comes around to toot her own horn.