Don't stop believing!

Thanksgiving is less than 8 weeks away which means a few things: cooler weather, a trip home, our amazing Thanksgiving meal, AND... the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot!

During college, the Turkey Trot became a Thanksgiving Day tradition and one that I always look forward to. That first year, it was just my family and close friend who ran (or walked) in the 3 mile fun run. Since then, my grandfather and a couple of family friends have joined the fun.



Since I completed the 39.3 Avon 2-Day walk with my mom in May, I started thinking that this year's 5K wouldn't be challenging enough. So, I began considering the Turkey Trot's longer event, the 8 mile run. Somehow, I convinced my parents to join me and it look's like we will be completing 8 miles on Thanksgiving morning!

Those who know me know that I am not much of a runner. I can do sprints (thanks to years of playing tennis) and I can walk for days (which I've also done) but the idea of running for an hour or two at a time really does not sound appealing. However, I know that on Thanksgiving morning, it will be hard not to attempt to run at least some of those 8 miles with tons of runners surrounding me. So, I developed a training schedule that should help me be able to run at least half of the distance, although it will probably be broken up by short periods of walking.

Yesterday's training goal was 6 miles, which I decided to walk after running the majority of a 1.7 mile distance to an abs class yesterday morning. I metro-ed out to Bethesda for the annual Taste of Bethesda festival and decided to walk home (6.8 miles to be exact).
Still full from my lunch a bit earlier, I got on my way shortly after I arrived in the Maryland suburb. About 1.5 miles in, I realized that I was walking much of the path that my mom and I completed on our 2nd day (13.1 miles) of the Avon walk. This may not seem like a grand epiphany, but on that Sunday morning, it was cold, raining, and I was soaked head-to-toe due to a malfunctioning poncho and rain jacket. Yesterday however, the sun was shining, it was quite a comfortable afternoon, and I saw that 4 mile stretch of Wisconsin Avenue in a completely different light.

As I walked, I continued to thinking about how we didn't let the thunderstorms stop my mom and me from completing our 13.1 miles that day and taking a stand against breast cancer. I was reminded of what I am capable of and that despite less-than-perfect conditions, we were able to accomplish something great. I was inspired by that reminder as I continue to seek out employment opportunities and contemplate, once again, a potential return home for a while. The job market maybe look dismal and unemployment may be rising across the country (and up to 11.1% here in Washington, DC) yet I know that I could be a lot worse off right now. I was newly inspired by my walk yesterday to keep fighting because I know that if I do, I will be able to accomplish my goals!