My Big Secret

Well, actually there are two - but one is far more interesting than the other.

A couple of months ago, while continuing to nurse a nagging injury and no longer enjoying my runs, I decided to opt out of both the 3M and the AT&T half marathon. I recognized immediately that this was probably the wisest decision I could have made - it freed up significant amounts of time and allowed me to do other things I enjoy, other things that would be good for me, and things I've been wanting to do for a long time. Some people thought that my shift in priorities meant that I was giving up triathlon or running for good, and that is simply not the case. It never was in my plan to put that aside permanently. Some of you already know these things, but for the rest of you, here goes...

The first, and probably least interesting "secret" is that I got back into yoga. I have been a yogini for 5 years, so this isn't a huge deal. I had sort of fallen out of a regular practice, but was motivated to get back into it when I realized that most of the physical therapy I was having to do was all yoga fundamentals. What is a big deal in this area, at least for me, is that I took on Baptiste's 40-day plan. It's basically a plan that involves practicing yoga daily (anywhere from 20-90 mins), modification of and attention to diet including a fasting period, and daily meditation. For some of you this may sound sort of cooky, but it's really not. Baptiste is probably one of the least new-agey yogis out there. I spoke to my long-time teacher before starting the program and she suggested making some slight modifications based on my lifestyle, travel requirements, etc. I am 10 days away from completing this, and I feel so much better. I can't really explain it, but my head is clear, my injury has healed, and I feel renewed.

The second, and most significant "secret" is that I am one step closer to starting a local non-profit. A couple of years ago, while sitting on a plane, I was reading a Runner's World article on the "Heroes of 2006." When I came across this one on Molly Barker and her organization, Girls on the Run, I was instantly inspired. GOTR is a 12-week program for girls from 3rd to 6th grade with curriculum on self-respect, healthy lifestyle choices, confidence building, etc. all centered around running. At the end of 12 weeks the girls all complete a 5K. There are GOTR councils in over 120 cities in US and Canada - 2 in Texas - but none here in Austin. I slowly started moving toward this goal over a year ago, but it was difficult to rally the group of local ladies who had all at one point expressed an interest in starting an Austin council. Once we all finally got our plan in place we had to complete a very lengthy application. I am happy to say that my friends and I submitted the application on Feb. 1st, so our first step is done. (Thanks to Stacey, Panther, Stacy, and Stephanie for your help and support). We hope to be approved by the international organization by March 1st, then we apply for the 501(c)3, then we can start fundraising, and launch our first program (our goal is Fall 2008). Now we wait, but the excitement is almost killing me!

I'll keep everyone posted on what happens next!