I’ve had friends come out of the woodwork this week — gifting me with little nuggets of positive energy and B.E.L.I.E.F.

Friends Believe In You…Until You Learn to Believe In Yourself.  It’s Magical!  and Priceless…..

Two friends told me today, totally independently, and spontaneously — “Diane, You could run this Marathon tomorrow if you had to“!

Another friend told me I was inspiring him through my determination, to say determined to his weight loss goal.

Another friend was coaxing a third friend not to give up on their exercising because the payoff didn’t come on the scale this week.  Her encouragement went something like this:  It’s Diane’s Marathon, not a sprint.

Two girlfriends told me I was skinny today.  <Blush>  I felt my face turn red, and I forced myself to EAT the word I would normally say  [which is NO — NO.  Denying, Rejecting].  I forced myself to EAT the NO, and I made myself say a simple…..T.h.a.n.k.- y.o.u.  Yea, it was hard.  Accepting.  But I made myself do it and….it felt…W.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l.  (smile)

WoW.  Treasures.  Gifts.  Gold. and Gems.  All around me.   Friends Believe In You…Until You Learn to Believe In Yourself.

This week is Week 12 of my Training.  See, most of the time, I keep my head down and bear down, fighting for what I need to do that day, or the next day.  If my run goes well, I focus on it, and try to figure out how to replicate it again tomorrow.  If it doesn’t go well, I try to forget it, and then go on the hunt for some food for my mind, some “positivity snack” that can help me improve tomorrow.  You see, I’ve fallen so “In Love” with wanting to run this Marathon, that I’ve created a new habit of daily determination.  I don’t begrudge it anymore.  I don’t delay getting my work done.  I take a quick look at my schedule each night, and get my mind right for doing what needs to be done the next morning.  You see, I’m Already A Marathon Runner in my Heart.  I just need to do the work on the road on Jan 13, 2013 to make it FACT.  LOL

All this wonderful made me spend a little time today, thinking about how much I have changed in these past 12 weeks.  Because I’ve been so busy doing the work…..that I didn’t notice the changes as they were happening.  I’ve lost almost 20 pounds in these 12 weeks.  I’m about 2 pounds away from going under 200 pounds.  Wow.  I think about how hard it felt last year, when I tried SOOO hard to lose those same 20 pounds.  I think the best thing I ever did was give myself something else to focus on (running) rather than the scale.  I took my eye off my weight…..and then lost it, easily.  W.I.L.D!

I remember the day I decided to sign up for the Marathon.  I was at work in New York.  I walked over to Marathon Brian’s desk….and asked him this question.  “Brian, do you think I could run the Marathon?  Do you think I could do it?”  Without a moment of hesitation he said, “Yes”.  And he said it with that intense, full eye contact kinda look.  You know, the kind that makes you want to walk backwards down the hallway you just came from.    I said, “Really?”  and 30 minutes passed with Brian explaining to me why he thought I could.

Brian saw in me, things I couldn’t see in myself….Yet.  Brian believed in me…..Until I could learn to believe in myself.  And I chose to believe Brian instead of my own Doubt.  I believed him enough to sign up for the Disney Marathon — to buy a pair of running shoes — and to start running down the lonely streets by myself.  A yearling on wobbly legs, with an even wobbly-er  b.e.l.i.e.f.

As I ran more and more.  As I stayed determined.  As I didn’t q.u.i.t., other people began to believe in me.  To such an extent that some Weight Watcher friends threaten to kick my butt if I even think about quitting.  LOL  Thanks guys!

Friends Believe In You…Until You Learn to Believe In Yourself.  This phrase means so much.  It’s not just a pretty set of words strung together well.   In many ways, it means that during all my solitary runs, I haven’t been alone at all.  I’ve carried with me all the b.e.l.i.e.f.s. of those friends — those friends, family and loved ones – who want nothing but good things for me.  They want me to succeed…..just as much as I do.  THAT is ridiculously heart-warming and rewarding.

So come friends….come…. we only have about 45 days left.  Until we Run Our Marathon.  Because in my Heart — I’m taking you ALL with me.  BELIEVE IT!

Ciao for now…..Diane