I want to run!!

Here is my first post in a new blog. Wow! And the reason I started a new blog is an even bigger WOW!!

I have been running a bit now and have many 5K's under my belt. I decided on a 10K for New Year's Day that I'm not worried about. And since I'm on my way toward that, I found a 1/2 marathon I'm now training for on February 20th. I'm really excited to run in that race. The hardest part will be running outside to be prepared for the winter weather in Hampton, NH along the water. But tonight I made it outside for my run and it was 27 degrees out!

I am the type of person who believes in signs. If the universe has something to show me, it will find a way to get my attention and make sure I am paying attention. Well let me tell you, I have seen the signs and put it all together!

First let me back up.... everyone has heard of the movie, "The Bucket List" and I know so many people who have since created their own lists. LONG before the movie, there was a book, The Aladin Factor, by Jack Canfield. Does his name sound familiar? Well, if you have ever heard of The Chicken Soup for the Soul books, you will know his name!

Way back, about 15 years ago, I read everything I could with The Chicken Soup series. Then I found Jack's book "The Aladin Factor". Think of a prequel to "The Secret" but the same concept. Think of what you want, visualize your dreams, and that is how they will come true.... ask Aladin what you want and BE SPECIFIC!

One of the tasks in the book was to create a sort of Bucket List. Oh MAN did I get creative! I must have put at least 150 items on that list! Well, time passed and I lost that book AND THE LIST! I even went out and bought another copy of that book! I knew I had crazy things on the list, like Climb the Great Wall of China, and Run the Boston Marathon.

A few weeks ago I found that book when I was helping my parents clean out boxes in their basement. Right now the book, with THE LIST, is still sitting in my trunk (do I run outside in the now 20 degree weather to go grab it??)

A month or so ago was the registration for the 2011 Boston Marathon. They did it early this year, before the NY City Marathon, which meant those runners couldn't use their 2010 times to qualify for the 2011 marathon. But the people who did have times they could use... those sports filled up in 8 hours! WOW!!

I read an article that because it is so hard to register now and actually get a spot in Boston, that the new "Big Deal" would be to just qualify alone for this race! Just to qualify, not even actually run! WOW!

So all of this is in my mind as I am doing my 1/2 marathon training and feeling pretty good about it. I know I'm not a fast runner, but slow and steady right? I feel good running, I've lost over 30 pounds in past year and a half. I look and feel better than I have ever looked and felt! I have people telling me I am wasting away to nothing (I haven't lost a pound in MONTHS!) as I continue to exercise, run and tone.

Well, yesterday someone joined the fitness group I organize online. Her greeting was that she managed the Mass Eye and Ear Boston Marathon team and they still had spots open. I thought, wow, that's cool, haven't heard of spots open for the marathon before. And then thought passed.

SO I guess I was supposed to get more out of that, so the universe slapped me in the face and I got an email from a local theater who has a team running and they have an open spot on their team. I thought, WOW, I've never heard of one open spot for the marathon and in the matter of hours I hear about 2 unrelated teams with bibs available? That's INSANE!

Ok, so the universe got my attention with that one! I emailed Kristina about the Mass Eye and Ear team and with my questions... but last night it was more of a, "hmm... is this something that might be a possiblity? Could I do this?" Then I went online and found a link to a marathon training schedule. The weekend of my 1/2 marathon, the schedule calls for a 14 mile long run. Well, a 1/2 marathon is 13.1, so I'm close! And I'd be on track for the training with the marathon!

Then there was more of, OMG, could I do this for real??

Today I got an email back from Kristina with the application and answers to some of my questions. By this point, the idea of actually training for the marathon (believe it or not) wasn't super scary. But she confirmed that I would need to raise $5000 in donations to run. WOW! That's a LOT of money, especially in this economy. But otherwise, she was great in answering my questions and getting me the application.

Tonight I started thinking of the best way to raise that much money. I have a few ideas. I want to see if work will donate some Red Sox tickets, and I am also going to ask my uncle if his company can donate other tickets to possibly the Celtics and Bruins, and then I want to contact my cousin to see if he can get me signed Red Sox items. I would obviously take donations in any amounts, but my idea is, for anyone who donates at least $75, they will be entered into a raffle for whatever "prizes" I end up coming up with. And I am going to cap those entries to 100 people. That would give me $7500 if I got 100 people to donate, not to mention any smaller donations I receive!

SO now I need to get my application completed, find out if my fund raising ideas are acceptable and then get the word out to collect and obtain my "prizes"!

That's how I got here and that's how this blog, "Julie Runs Boston" was started. I'll be using this blog to give updates on my training and my progress along the way. I'm so excited for the possibilities in this journey and can't wait to see how things are when I get to the other side of the finish line!