Its your choice. - When I Grow Up

Its your choice. - When I Grow Up On Friday, December 26th, I decided to sign up for my first half-marathon. Im not sure what was in the air that made me do it. Ive only ever run a 5K, and did it barely and slowly. And that was 8 months ago! Since then Ive walked tons (for the Avon 2 Day Walk I now do annually), but have only gone on runs super sporadically. Wish me luck! #1st5K #dontdie #gorgeousday A photo posted by Michelle Ward (@whenigrowupcoach) on May 5, 2014 at 5:50am PDT On the day I  signed up, I knew I could only run 2 miles without stopping. I also knew that, without being a member of a gym (or wanting to be), Id have to train in the cold NYC winters (which Im a total wimp about). But I also knew that, without something to train for, my exercising had gone by the wayside and the best way to hold myself accountable and get my butt moving was to have an external commitment. So, I looked at 5Ks in my area. And then 10Ks. And then I clicked over to the More/Fitness Womens Half-Marathon, which my friend was running and encouraged me to register for a few weeks ago. Shes a triathlete whos done numerous marathons, and I scoffed when she brought it up to me. Me?! A half-marathoner? Puh-lease. But when I was looking at that site, I felt that familiar scary-exciting feeling in my stomachso, of course, I clicked back to the 10K. Stupid Resistance, pointing me away from the thing Im supposed to do! Even though my comfort zone was being threatened, and my inner Vampire Voices (theyre the ones who suck the good stuff outta me!) were telling me Id never be able to do itI couldnt ignore that near-equal fear and excitement feeling. Whenever my clients feel that, I tell them that whatevers around that is what they  have to do. Because they care about whatever it is enough to fear it and because they will learn and grow no matter what. I couldnt be a hypocrite and shy away from this feeling myself. I knew it was dangerous to speak this aloud to my husband (because hed hold me to it once it was spoken), but I opened my mouth and heard myself say, Babe, I think I wanna run that half-marathon in April. I texted my friend. Felt sick to my stomach. Looked up training plans (couch-to-half-marathon, anyone?). Counted the weeks until April 19th. I didnt know if it was the balmy weather we were having (its gotten much colder since then)or  some New Year, New You energy I was feelingor the yearning I have to feel strong and healthyor living up to my word of 2015but I  knew it was that scary-exciting knot in my stomach that had me press Register, fill in my information, and sign myself up. The next day, Luke and I walked a couple miles with the baby to a speciality runners store so that I could buy some new sneakers and cold-weather gear. I was so delighted to see an old college friend of mine who I havent seen in about 15 years (!) working there. She was actually in my head when I decided to run, seeing all her marathon pics on Facebook through the years. We squealed and hugged and she got me everything I needed. And while we were chatting, I asked her how many marathons she had run.  I almost fell over when she said 15, and that she was flying to Florida in a couple weeks to run a half-marathon and a marathon back-to-back. She also talked about running an ultra marathon, shrugging off what an accomplishment it was. I mentioned at one point how I wasnt a runner, and she responded: Yeah I wasnt a runner once, too. So delighted to see a college friend working at @jackrabbitNYC in Park Slope today when I went to get fitted for running sneaks for the first time! I walked out with these beauts, a cold-weather headband, 2 pairs of socks, a pair of sneaks for @sirlukeward, about 4 hugs 15 years of conversation. I knew wed be well taken care of there, but this was beyond! Whadda wonderful surprise. A photo posted by Michelle Ward (@whenigrowupcoach) on Dec 12, 2014 at 3:17pm PST And I thought about my word for 2015: reinvention. I realized right then that its so much about  choice. About how one day youre not a runner, and then you decide to run a race, and then you  are  a runner. Even before youre ready to say it. Even before youre ready to own it. Even before youre ready to  identify with it. So, Im stepping into being a runner, as crazy as the title may seem in my head right now. What are you ready to choose? Just 1 spot left for a February start! Click here to see if you might wanna be my next client.