When I graduated with my masters degree, everyone asked what was next. After all, I just finished a three-year graduate program in a year and a half, landed a job at the top company in the industry, and spent months attending classes to convert to a new religion. Every hour of every day was filled with… something substantial.

My response when people asked: “I’m going to run a marathon.”

So…that never happened.

Soon after, I was engaged and planning a wedding. My career was booming with new opportunities (and LOTS of hours). Then there were issues with my parents health and they needed help. Then Ethan was born. Then, then, then.

There have been a lot of “thens” in the last dozen years.

Still, I never lost the “dream” of running a marathon, which is strange because I’ve never run a mile in my life – except when FORCED to run by angry, mean gym teachers in elementary, middle and high school. And then I HATED it.

I can totally picture myself running, but I’ve just never DONE it. I can see myself RUNNING a marathon, but I didn’t know where to start. I’ve even DREAMT about it. Several times through the years, I’ve researched training plans and upcoming races, but nothing.

A few weeks ago, I was hanging out with some of my mom friends (moms of Ethan’s classmates) and several of them were making plans to train to run in a half marathon in May. I told them that I always wanted to run, but I’ve never done it. (Another friend told me a few months ago that I needed to commit to a race – that was the only way I was actually going to run. This was my chance.)

Another mom quickly jumped in. If I would commit, she would to. And because this mom lives literally down the street, we could train together. She, too, has never run but is interested.

One of the moms has taken us under her wing. She’s sent us a training program to get started. Between now and mid-January, I’ve set a goal to run a certain distance so I can begin part two of my training, working up to the half-marathon in May.

This mom friend is also taking my new running partner and me shopping tomorrow for appropriate shoes and running bras and other stuff we need to do this the right way. I don’t even know what to WEAR to run! I mean, can I wear my comfy yoga pants, a tee-shirt and sweatshirt? Do I need special clothes made of space-age materials to whisk away the sweat and stuff? I just don’t know.

Training in Wisconsin during the winter will suck, but I want to do this. I feel like I NEED to do this.

I can’t just keep dreaming. I need to DO.