Well, kids, I won't lie to you. I freaking love my birthday. I really feel that it should be a national holiday. I've refused to work or go to school on my birthday my entire life, which has luckily not been a problem since my birthday is in the middle of the summer and I chose a career in teaching, but whatever. August 1 is my favorite day of the year. I love it and so should you!
This particular birthday is remarkable because this year I am 37. THIRTY-SEVEN. Y'all, I really thought I'd have my shit together by the time I was this age, but I still feel as clueless as I did when I was 21. Well, about most things, anyway. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37, and she died at the age of 42. I know that I have some tiny element of control over what happens with my body. What I haven't mentioned to you all yet is that I have been on a weight-loss journey for almost a year. Since last Labor Day 2012 I am down 40 lbs. I've always been a bigger girl. I'm 5'10" and all legs. Do you know how scarring it is to be the tallest, biggest kid in your class from 3rd through 6th grade? Let me tell you, it will do a number on your self-esteem, and as you saw in one of my earlier posts, my fashion sense was a bit lacking. In my mind I was like the weird girl in the movie "Sixteen Candles" but without the weird headgear and tiny Chinese boyfriend. Also, I could sing, and I had friends. Back to the weight-loss thing... I started running in February just to see if I could run a mile. I initially had a goal of running a 5K before I turned 40 (along with growing my hair out long and getting my first bikini wax. I'm pretty sure that last thing won't happen unless there is tequila involved, but I can wear a ponytail now). One mile turned into 4, and I ran my first half-marathon in June. I ran a 10K last weekend. In September I'm registered for a 10 miler. In December and January I will run 2 more 1/2 marathons. There's this voice in the back of my head that keeps saying, "Just do one full marathon. Just so you can say you did it." No matter how much wine I give that mouthy bitch, she just won't shut up. So, you guessed it. In February I will run a full 26.2 miles.
Luckily, I like fine wine. No, wait. I mean I'm like a fine wine. I've gotten better with age. I appreciate the little things now a lot more than I did then. I really appreciate the fact that I started this birthday with an early morning run for the first time in my entire life. At 5:30 a.m. In the dark. Before the roosters woke up. I appreciate a hand-written card. I appreciate my 4 1/2 year old starting my day by saying "Happy burday! Where's the cake?" (Damn skippy, Clay! Where was my cake at 6:30 a.m.?)
It's ridiculous, I tell you. I am training for a marathon, but I still haven't run a 5K. Maybe I'll get around to it before I turn 40. For now, I'll keep on keepin' on. I'll keep cising my Jazzer with the most awesome ladies in Katy. I'll keep running to not only clear my head and accomplish goals that once seemed so far out of reach, but to give me a better body than I had when I was in high school. I'll keep eating right so that I can do those runs and have that body. You can't eat crap and train for marathons. Except when it's your birthday....
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