Pay it forward Friday

Sorry I missed all of you yesterday, I was traveling for work to Little Rock ( I totally wish I was there longer because I would have contacted Ben and made him run with me.  I kind of stalk him.  Sorry Ben)

It was great trip with some great potential for new business for me.  Which is good because I have rather steep goals in 2011 which I will have to exceed.  Enough business talk.....

Oh - and the picture from Wednesday - it was FRY DAY.... I thought it was funny.

Jason is hosting Pay It Forward Friday with a giveaway.  You should click that link (<-----) and read about it.  It's a great idea and I hope I win --- but I kinda hope I win last so I can read everyones motivating notes in the books.  What an amazing idea.  Just to rub it in Jason, Cayla and I are going to ride bikes tomorrow - you should be jealous because he is super fun to hang with.  I think I was destined to meet him and Karen.  What awesome people!!!

So I was reading his post and I was thinking about endurance sports and had you asked me two years ago what an endurance sport was I don't know that I could have defined it or put anything into that category.  Endurance for me then was a LONG day shopping at the mall (complaining that my feet hurt) and depleting my bank account.

I have links over there (---->) about the history of my triathlete lifestyle; but don't recall that I actually wrote it out on this blog.  I have no idea how to know if people actually click those links so if you've read it before, I'm sorry..... if you haven't I hope you stick around b/c I think I've come along way since then.

The time was November 2008.  I had recently been laid off my job, Bill and I had broken up, and I was an emotional mess to say the least.  There were numerous times that I woke up on the couch at 2pm with an empty bottle of wine....I was never on the verge of alcoholism but drinking at 2pm in your PJ's BY YOURSELF while emotional is NEVER a good idea.  I snapped out of that dark place and decided I needed to do something constructive with my free time (besides looking for a job and doing laundry).

I started working out quite frequently at the gym.  Sometimes 2 or 3 times a day.  I would go do circuit weights in the morning (following the 24 hour fitness circuit weight banner hung for everyone to see).  I would go home, shower, hit a couple job sites, hopefully go to an interview, and then head back to the gym for cardio - then sometimes late night I would go back b/c I was bored and you can only watch so much tv.

Anyways - I developed some sort of obsession/routine with the gym.  It became a safe place for me.  It was a place that I didn't have to think  about what was going on outside those four walls.  I could focus on me and not on my unemployment or my crumbled relationship. 

That month of November I learned a lot about what I was capable of.  I learned that I was capable of running a mile.  I was capable of not dying during that mile.  I was capable of taking care of myself..... it was the only thing I had control of.

I was watching Biggest Loser.....they participated in the BL Triathlon.  I thought to myself... I can do that.  Then I saw on FB that a friend from college had just finished her first triathlon...I was inspired.  I started googling.  {FYI - I'm a pretty amazing google-er}

I found the My First Tri hosted by Play-Tri in McKinney.  A 300 meter swim, 6 mile bike and a 2 mile run.  It seemed like an achievable goal - but one in which I had a small inkling could still be impossible.  {self doubt.... I'm really really good at that}

When I posted my first post on my old blog about the triathlon I had 19 weeks to train.  I had a looooong way to go to get into the shape that I needed to be to do a TRIATHLON for heavens sakes!

A triathlon.... I never thought I would hear that word come out of my mouth except in the sentence "Who the F would do a triathlon?"

A year and a half later I have 5 triathlons, 5 5K's and 1 half marathon under my belt....along with numerous training hours logged, new friends, 20 pounds shed, and a vision on a healthy lifestyle that once was something I didn't believe I could have.

Can you pay it forward today?  Can you inspire someone to do something they never thought possible?  Or buy a coffee for the person in front of you?

What you do makes a difference.......