It’s something like 18 days until the Disneyland races — affectionately called the Dumbo Double Dare.  I was really nervous — until yesterday — when my friend Julia said something life changing to me.

We were texting, and I told her I was excited to run the 10K with Erin, but I was really nervous to run the Half, because I’m under-trained.  I haven;t done nearly what I should have done in terms of training, and I’m 20 pounds heavier than I was at Marathon in January.

All that being what it was……Here is what Julia said.   “Pull it out from your spirit!  You can do it!”

Those words bounced around in my brain like a ricochet all yesterday afternoon.  I woke up this morning at 6am — ready for my run with Erin.  She was doing 6.2 miles.  Me — I was doing 10.  When Erin finished her 6.2 miles, Peter picked her up in the truck and took her home.  And there I was, without my new-found running buddy — with 3.8 miles left to go.  It would have been soooo easy to jump into the passenger side back seat before Peter and Erin drove away.  But no. no.  Before we even left the house this morning….I already k.n.e.w. what was going to happen today.  I was going to do 10 miles….I was going to pull it from my spirit.

And so I did.

I feel wonderful today.  My knees are a bit stiff and they’re nagging me as I climb stairs — but — my spirit is flying as high as the falcon I saw on my run this morning.

Thank you Julia.  Thank you, for reminding me just how powerful and magnificent my spirit is!  We are all born with a fierce little spirit.  For some of us, we let it get buried under layers of sadness, fear, doubt and apathy.  But when you dig down….like running a marathon or doing a triathlon requires you to do — you break through all those layers separating you from your spirit — and WHAM!  BAM!  your spirit breathes air and B.L.A.S.T.S. back to life…..as if it were never away.

Me — I’m a 47-year-old mom from New Jersey.  But my spirit??  My spirit is Kenyan 🙂  shhhh — don’t tell her.  Let her dream.

Thank you Julia.  You were my Funshine today!

Ciao for now….Diane

ps — Erin is building her spirit — the running is helping her tap into it.  She’s going kicking and screaming the whole way , LOL —- BUT that is how it goes.  First you fight the process….until you realize….voila….YOU have BECOME a FIGHTER!  After that — the world is yours!