Things going thru my mind right now:

• today I hiked 6.5 miles on uneven ground, up 500 feet+ in elevation, towards a dam that has more history than any other dams in the TVA.

• a week ago I became a half marathoner in the city that never sleeps and met some amazing people in the process

• a month ago I ran 10.38 miles for my “long run Saturday” in preparation for NYC Half Marathon

• a year ago it was the eve of my very first 10k, I was scared, the farthest I had gone was 7 miles, it was my very first race by myself not knowing anyone else in the race, only 4 months into my journey to change my life. And it was also the eve of getting a new puppy in the family (which I obviously didn’t know until AFTER my race, haha)

Why do I bring this up? I mentioned to some of the Internet last week when we were walking through NYC that if it wasn’t for all the changes in my life I don’t think I could have done as much walking as I did in NYC. And I thought the same thing today hiking through the trails. I could have turned back, all those rocks, all those climbing stairs—I kept thinking once I got to my destination could I make it back? When I got there, I sat and stared, realizing that just getting there was something that the old me couldn’t have done. I had no clue how to get back (my mind was freaked by how many descents there would be with all those upwards climbs), but I have a good sense of direction and found the main road to get back—with pavement! But I kept thinking back to how the week before I had traveled 13.1 miles in a timed race and made it still standing with fuel left for more walking.

It’s amazing how time changes and people change. The best decision in my life came in December 2010 when I chose to turn my life around and start running and taking better care of myself.

I can only begin to imagine what this time next year will bring to me. Certain dates will always stick out for me, they always have, my first 5k, my first 10k (also the day we got my puppy!), and my first half marathon. Those dates mean nothing to some, but to me they mean the world.

What about you? What dates are most important to you in this journey of life?