I literally BoUncEd out of bed today, like a rubber ball.   7am get-up + Saturday = 8am Weight Watchers Meeting.   I chose not to ride the bike to the meeting today.  This close to the Race, and with so much invested — I didn’t want to risk any sort of injury on the bike – not today.  That would be the worst thing.  So I got up, took my time making coffee and packing my banana to go, and drove the short distance to the WW center.  Gosh, what a gorgeous morning it was today.  I enjoyed every minute of it, with the sun-roof open, and the morning light on my face.  My mood was holding out, I feel A.w.e.s.o.m.e!

For an 8am meeting on Saturday — our group of watchful weighters….is a loud, fun, energetic crowd.  Denise had to use her Brooklyn voice to et the group to quiet down so she could start the meeting.  LOL, this was a quote, and an endearing one at that!  She started the meeting by asking folks — “Hey — What’s going on out there that has you all so excited?  Tell me what’s going on that you are excited about??”  Of course, that just propelled us all back to  2nd grade, and we sat up straighter, with our hands in our laps, quiet and attentive….CAUGHT by the Teacher!!

Ok, so I stuck my hand in the air — I would tell my story.  Besides…holding in my energy this week has been like holding down a kite on a windy day.  When Denise acknowledged me, I said, “Tomorrow is My Half Marathon Race, and I’m so excited!”    From there, everyone in the room was very excited for me, along with me.  It was wonderfully supportive.  But here is what I really wanted to share with the group.  Here was another unexpected discovery along this journey.  I told my WW friends, that about 2 weeks ago — I banished the word Nervous from my vocabulary.  From myself, from Peter, from the girls, from everyone near me.  Why? you ask.  Well,  somehow, I had the foresight to know…that if I allowed myself to answer the question “How are you feeling”, with the Response “Nervous” every time someone asked me about the Half Marathon…..that by the time Race Day was here, I would be feeling N>E>R>V>O>U>S> as Hell!  So instead,  I took control and I banished the word.  No Nervous-ness allowed.  Instead, I replaced it with the word EXCITED!  Every time.  So when the question came….and it came ALOT….I was ready for it.    “So, Diane….How are you feeling?  Nervous?”  My eyes twinkled, and I said, “No Way!, I’m Excited!”  This is how the past two weeks have gone.  At work, with friends, with my Mom and sister in Florida, online with distant friends and family.  But you know what?   Every day, as I professed how Excited I felt…..do you know what happened?  I started to Get Excited!  Yea!  It was like I created the reality I wanted around me.  WHOA!  That was a Powerful lesson.  One that I would write down, and remember to come back to on April 23rd, because THAT lesson is juicy, and full of all kinds of possibilities worth exploring again and again.  I think I have other aspects of my reality that I’d like to change —–> Oh Yea!  Bring ‘Em On!!

I walked out of the Weight Watchers meeting with lots of Well Wishes from friends, and some great advice from other runners.  Mostly, I left knowing that my friends in that meeting would be thinking of me at 8am Sunday morning, when I am lined up at the Starting Line.  Jokingly, some asked that I run a mile for them.   LOL.  But you know what?   I think I might just do that.  I’m going to run a mile for Yolanda, and another one for Lina, and one for Denise, and Alicia, and Lisa, and Russ and Cindy.  I’m going to run a mile for Peter, and another one for Caitlin and  for Erin, and maybe 2 miles for Marathon Brian.  Because as I run, I carry all the friendship, good will, and support that each and every one of these people have been giving me for the past 18 weeks, and longer.  I wouldn’t be out there, if you didn’t believe in me.  As Denise often says, you all believed in me — until I learned to believe in myself.  How powerful that lesson was!   Remember it always Diane!

I am going to save the last mile +.1 for myself.    The last 1.1 miles — I’ll be running for Diane.  With wind in my hair, and probably rain on my face, and huffing and puffing by then — but when that Finish Line comes into sight, Diane is going to sail across it like a bird taking flight — with wings unfurled and only blue skies ahead.

Get Excited about Your Life……and Go Live it!

Ciao for now…..Diane