Operation Sparkle: A Reflection

So when I said a blog everyday for the week leading up to the culmination of Operation Sparkle...I meant weekdays ;)

Yesterday...well, yesterday it hit me. I think it's been slowly building since the countdown hit single digits...but yesterday, it hit me just how close we actually are. And how far I've come.

I told you last week that there were friends who admitted to me recently that when I told them that I was doing this they doubted I would follow through. Honestly, I doubted I would follow through in some moments. And then over the summer when I found myself registered, I knew that wasn't going to be the case.

I decided to do this a little over a year ago. I had been a runner for approximately 4 months. I had barely finished the couch to 5K program and Catie had just returned from doing the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World, where, at my request, she had sent me all sorts of pictures and I thought "I want that. I want to do that." It was further cemented when, a month later, when Catie returned from Princess Weekend.

I started a 10K training program. Then a half marathon training program. Before that was over, I had to register for this weekend and I registered for all three races. Because I'm crazy. Or I will run for bling. One or the other.

In August, I booked my flights and that was the day that my mom decided to come too. And I was so excited. We're staying at a hotel I've never been to and I've been planning since August where and what we were going to do. In September I started GSC training, which saw me through this past weekend, which I decided to skip in favor of not risking injury before the big weekend.

In between January 2014 and now, I've logged over 500 miles. I've run four 10Ks, one 5K and 2 half marathons. I have to admit, it's been challenging. It's been life-changing. Sometimes I can't believe how far I've come and how much of this journey I've still got left. Not counting next weekend, I'm already registered for 5 more half marathons this year, and intend at least one more and a 10-miler. I've got Operation 2015 to complete. And then who knows what's beyond that. The plunge of a full? Time will tell.

But now...now it's almost time to complete the task that started this whole journey. It's crazy to think where I was a year ago...where I am now. How far I've come.