Hi there, I’m Diane. I’m 45. I’m a loving wife to Peter. A proud mom of two lovely teenage daughters Erin and Cait. A professional working woman. And I’m a runner. Wow. Did I just write that? A runner? If you know me, you’d understand what a big deal those words represent. I’ve spent the majority of my “free time, my non-working life” immobile. On the couch. Watching tv. Watching others doing things, living their lives. Passing time. The weird thing about it was, I didn’t notice it was happening when it was happening. I know that doesn’t make sense on many levels. But while it was happening, I thought I was relaxing. Resting. Unwinding. I look back now and wonder….what was I unwinding from? I was mentally tired. Pulled in so many directions. I realize now that I was unwinding from my life. Unplugged. Out of commission. On the bench. Uninvolved. I was wasting time, giving away those hours, observing life….not really living it.
Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a slacker. I’m a hard worker. I’m a go-getter. During those years I was working hard at my job. I’m a fantastic manager at a successful asset management firm. Working long days, long nights at the office. Giving my all being a fiduciary for our clients. Then packing up and heading home to my second job as wife, mom, homework tutor, and everything else that life lays on you after 7pm every night. I’m a terrific mom. Involved, supportive, loving, busy. And the work/home balance was, well…. out of balance. I don’t work near home. My job started out in the WTC in Bld 7. It was a normal commute, about 45 minutes from my home in East Brunswick, NJ. On 9/11, that world came crashing down, literally. Like many others that day, I ran for my life. (See, I’m a runner)!! Climbing down 39 floors and rushing out into the street. Getting far enough away before the buildings started to come down. Since then, I’ve been commuting crazy distances from my home in New Jersey to multiple offices in NYC, Stamford Ct, and Baltimore Maryland. All those hours sitting in my car, on the road, white knuckling the steering wheel, weaving my way home; sitting down, sitting down, sitting… hmmm. Maybe the driver’s seat of my car is sort of like a couch too. Weird. I never thought about it that way before.
Have you ever had a realization….and then wondered what took you so long to realize it? For me it started while I was on a walk in my neighborhood. The fresh air must have weaved its way into my brain and jump started those neurons. I was huffing and puffing at my slow turtle pace, but all of a sudden, a runner ran past me. And as I watched her run down the street like a gazelle, my mind had an instant crazy thought,,,,hey what if you started running. Ok, chill Diane. Too much fresh air for one day! She was like 15 years old, and thin as a reed. So I finished my walk and went home. I picked up my Mac and YES, went and sat on the couch. HOME AGAIN! I pulled up google and stared at it for a few minutes before I typed “learn to run”. LOL, I have two feet and a pair of sneakers…so what’s to learn?? Well, I knew I needed some information and my cerebral muscle (perhaps the only muscle in my body at the time) needed help. So I hit the return key, and IT happened. There IT was. IT was as familiar and welcoming as anything could have been. A new HOME BASE. Like a door with my name on it, saying Welcome Diane , we have been waiting for you.
The google search read “The Couch to 5K”. Hmmm. I sat there on my couch thinking. Well, if the shoe fits,,,,click on it. And so I did…….
This blog is going to share my personal journey from my Couch to the Finish line of the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon on April 22, 2012. It’s 13.1 miles, and I invite you to come take a million baby steps with me.
Ciao for now……Diane