Every person dreams of this day, right? The day you realize that you’re actually doing something you’ve planned and dreamed about for years. The day you realize you’ve come so much further than you realized, and that all of a sudden, you’re committed and ready and you’re actually doing this.
The best part of this is that I get to do it with my favorite person in the world.
In 29 weeks, I will be the proud finisher of a marathon. [Hopefully.]
In case you missed it, last week when Jason and I got back from our half marathon in Chicago, we signed up for a full marathon in New Orleans in February. And we started training this week. 1 down, 29 to go… and then we start all over again. 
It’s amazing what a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, we were packing the last of our belongings into a truck, and embarking on quite the adventure. We had no idea what was waiting for us, and it turned out to be the best year of my life. It was really hard, but looking back, I realize that moving so far outside of our comfort zone has helped us to realize how strong we really are, as individuals and as a couple.
One of the goals we had when we moved to Dallas was exercising more, and we’re actually doing it. A year ago I was rarely working out. I sometimes walked to and from work, and counted that as a workout, but actually exercise was rare. In 2012 alone I’ve worked out more than I did in the 6 years prior. I’ve completed two half marathons, I’m training for a third half AND a full marathon, and I actually have some direction in my (exercising) life.
Planning ahead for these races also made me re-think work, and how we actually accomplish things: We don’t just get to do things when they’re fun and new and exciting. Things get boring– that’s true in every single job out there. Regardless of how much you like what you’re doing, at times you will have to do the dull, mundane tasks. This doesn’t mean that you have to stay forever in crappy jobs, but it does mean that sometimes, you just have to suck it up.
I’ve always had trouble staying interested in things for longer than a couple of months. I recently realized that this is probably due to an ingrained sense of how long a semester is… the 16 week mark will likely always have me itching to move on to something new. But real life doesn’t work that way. I could certainly pick up and start something brand new every 3.5 months, but that is neither sustainable nor stress-free. So, for now, I’ll be patient (or at least fake it) while I figure out what I actually want.
In the meantime, I’ll just train for a marathon.
