Thanks to the amazing suggestion and encouragement of my friend Lisa Perron I have registered for my first 5K on March 24th, 2012. 🙂
The first line of the description reads “Celebrate women’s health and fitness with us at the Atlanta Women’s 5K!” I believe for me this event will be so much more than a celebration of health and fitness. This experience will be a celebration of life. Of hard work, looking forward, and never giving up. As I continue healing, the physical part is so rewarding because it is so tangible and measurable and when I’m having a rough day I can see pictures like these below and say to myself “look how far you have come!” 
Running the whole thing is not my goal, completing it in the time allotted – that is my goal. Running, walking, crawling, haha, whatever it takes! 🙂
I have 8 weeks to help myself get to this goal. I will post progress each week and include the goals I meet along the way.
Week 1 goal was achieved today! I walked over a mile. 1.13 miles in 30 minutes. 🙂
I will have many goals for endurance and time in the first few weeks. At the end of each week on Sunday I will post my total miles for the week (walking, biking, elliptical and eventually running!)
Every day means something so new and unknown to me. My head and my heart battle each other every day. And on the days when my heart and the pain of loss is winning out, the continuation of goals that were in my life before it changed gives me such hope. Gives me something to focus on and keep moving forward. My counselor today helped me to realize that I am not doing this because I am in denial of the grieving process but because part of the grieving and healing process is learning how to move forward. It is nothing but a fact that I now must learn how to move forward without Glen and learn what my life without him means. A terrible fact but one which I must ultimately come to understand. So today I have made the commitment to start putting some of the pieces of my life back together, by beginning a goal for me, The Atlanta Women’s 5K.
And then I ran... 
Congratulations Sandra! I am so proud of you! This is much sooner than I expected! I was really hoping I could be at your first event to experience it with you but we will be on our way home from our trip for our first half marathon that weekend. You will definitely be on my mind and in my heart that day – as always! I can’t wait for your progress reports! Much <3!!
Good luck girl! You can do it!
Day by day and one foot in front of the other. You’re going to get it done!!! Sending you positive vibes!
Best wishes- I am rooting for you all the way. You are a huge inspiration!