I remember when 35 seemed soooo old. And now here I am, on the cusp of that very age. Does being 35 mean people will start referring to me as "that middle-aged woman"? God, I hope not!!! Mathematically, that puts me on death's door at age 70, and I plan to have plenty of good years long after that! I don't feel 35, not that I know what 35 is supposed to feel like anyway. While I don't quite remember what 5, 15, or 25 year old me thought my life would be like at 35, I can promise you that this life I'm living was not it! If you told 5, 15, or even 25 year old me that at age 35, I'd be living in the south, running half marathons, raising two gorgeous daughters who surf, learning to surf myself, and running my own business, she would laugh in your face. Yet that's my reality, and it's better than anything 5, 15, or 25 year old me could have dreamed up.
For some reason, birthdays that end in 0 or 5 feel like milestones. I started thinking about what happened in my life during the other years that ended in a 5, and was fascinated to realize that some pretty monumental things happened during each of those years. When I was 5, for instance, my younger brother, Kevin, was born. I became a big sister that year, and my life was forever changed.
Not really sure what hairstyle lurked under that Santa hat, but I'm so grateful they made me wear it for that picture. Kevin and his wife Meghan are two of my most favoritest people on the planet, and if we're being technical about this revelation, Meghan was also born when I was 5. Coincidence? Or something bigger? Whoa.
When I was 15, I had my first "boyfriend," experienced my first kiss (I was a late bloomer, ok???), and subsequently my first heartbreak, and my life was forever changed.
Obviously (well, I hope it's obvious) this is not a picture of myself and that boy. But it IS a picture of me with the iconic gymnast, Nadia Comaneci. At age 15, I had the honor of meeting this legend while performing some gymnastics skills on a balance beam in the middle of the underwear section of Bloomingdale's in New York City. WHAT??? You really can't make that up. Long story short, Nadia was doing commercials for Jockey underwear, so Bloomies needed some local gymnasts to help promote the brand. Seemed totally normal at the time. And wow, that is one Fancy lady behind Ms. Comaneci!
Fast forward another ten years to age 25...I moved from New York to Virginia, started dating this guy named Ryan, and was engaged to him seven months later. And my life was forever changed.
Not really sure what hairstyle lurked under that Santa hat, but I'm so grateful they made me wear it for that picture. Kevin and his wife Meghan are two of my most favoritest people on the planet, and if we're being technical about this revelation, Meghan was also born when I was 5. Coincidence? Or something bigger? Whoa.
When I was 15, I had my first "boyfriend," experienced my first kiss (I was a late bloomer, ok???), and subsequently my first heartbreak, and my life was forever changed.
Obviously (well, I hope it's obvious) this is not a picture of myself and that boy. But it IS a picture of me with the iconic gymnast, Nadia Comaneci. At age 15, I had the honor of meeting this legend while performing some gymnastics skills on a balance beam in the middle of the underwear section of Bloomingdale's in New York City. WHAT??? You really can't make that up. Long story short, Nadia was doing commercials for Jockey underwear, so Bloomies needed some local gymnasts to help promote the brand. Seemed totally normal at the time. And wow, that is one Fancy lady behind Ms. Comaneci!
Fast forward another ten years to age 25...I moved from New York to Virginia, started dating this guy named Ryan, and was engaged to him seven months later. And my life was forever changed.
Before I started thinking about all of these huge life events that happened in years ending in 5, I wasn't really all that thrilled about turning 35. After realizing how defining each of those other years were for the life I live today, I started getting really excited about what 35 may have in store for me. And while I've never really been one to tempt fate, I have decided to be proactive and MAKE something incredible happen this year. I'm nauseously excited to announce that in about nine short months...
I WILL RUN A MARATHON.
I even puked in my mouth a little while typing that. You thought I was going to say something crazy like "welcome our third child," didn't you? Negatory to infinity. Much like surfing and owning my own business, running a marathon is something I never in a million trillion years thought I would even consider doing. A few months ago, Ryan mentioned running one when we turn 40, but so much could happen between 35 and 40. And thus my motto for 35 is:
Crazy as it seems even in my own head, I feel ready for this challenge. I imagine it (and by "it" I think I'm referring more to the training than the actual race) will be harder than anything I've ever done in my entire life. I know it will be a challenge to log the miles necessary to be physically and mentally prepared on race day, especially since I'll be starting my actual training during my Fanciest time of year. But I recently read a quote that said "The person who starts a marathon is not the same person who finishes."
5, 15, and 25 year old me can't wait to meet the 35 year old me who finishes.
5, 15, and 25 year old me can't wait to meet the 35 year old me who finishes.
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