The air is fresh with possibilities and all around me happiness is bursting at the seams (the groundhog did say Spring will be here in 6 weeks!) much like the ending of every Disney fairytale, but for me? Well, I feel like I’ve been covered in snow I am barely breaking through the surface, I am still stuck in the winter blues and my only thought is “Holy Canoli, Memorial Day is closer than I think! I still have my “holiday ass” on and I got major work to do for that half marathon I signed up for in 10 weeks, let alone storm around in a “bathing suit”.

Instead of embracing the New Year like 100% of the population, laying the ground work, setting goals, and getting geared up for baring a six-pack in a teeny tiny bikini on a beach in Brazil, okay who am I kidding? I’ll go for a tankini at the town pool, it’s now February and I just realized that I let my healthy lifestyle and basically my life spiral out of control – not enough that my family has to stage an intervention but just enough to be uncomfortable in my skin, and um jeans. As a Virgo I am a certified as a control freak – it’s in the stars just ask Miss Cleo but these days the only thing I’ve been able to control is what’s going in my mouth.

What the hell happened? My head has been in the snow, I’ve done a lot of lack luster running, nothing what I expected and the kids well; let’s just say they are bonkers. Picture a seven and three year old version of Cancun Spring Break 2011 replace the funnels, shots and sun with chips, soda and sugar. They are strung out on processed food, and their beautiful blue eyes show the cloudy glassy fog – the effects of the last four months. Much like Miss Cleo – I sense that that the brotherly brawls, and crying fits just mean that they are itching to get the crap out their system and to partake in their spring activities – which thankfully I had the wherewithal to get my head out of the snow and just signed them for. Whew!

So, with a half marathon staring down at me, and my lofty aspirations of a PR what the heck is my plan to get rid of my “holiday ass” and get control of my life? Well, the first thing is to stop the excuses, and stage my own intervention, unbeknownst to anyone else because the attendees will be me, me and me, unless of course the three year old breaks down the door to the bathroom while I am talking to myself in my mirror, which is highly likely, therefore it will be me, and the three year old. I have to go back to the basics- rid the house of all the processed crap, eat a veggie (or two!) and fruit at every meal, watch my portions, and get the entire family off our butts and back into our active lifestyle. Shoveling is a family sanctioned aerobic activity! They may be young but if my mother made me tar the driveway at 18 they can sure as hell shovel the driveway! I have to stop resting on my laurels, I think somewhere buried deep into my sub-conscious I believe that just because I have ran three half-marathons, a few road relays, and tons of 10 and 5k’s I’m Kara Goucher; that I can seriously clock a 5 minute mile, when in fact, I cannot. I run a solid 10 minute mile, and am desperate to get myself into that 9 minute range, and eventually run an 8.30 minute mile. I know it’s doable -with work and training, not sure why I slack with my running because after each run whether it’s a mile or ten, I feel like a million bucks.

It’s all about trust! Trusting myself, trusting my body, trusting the process and 150% is trusting my trusty training guide –as the fact that I have to trust and understand just because it’s got Sun in the name, Sun Chips are not a healthy substitute for sun ripened tomatoes. Now, to steal a well-coined term from Nike, I have to JUST DO IT!

Deanna