a week of tnt firsts!

so, saturday's kickoff celebration was great. it really was. i got to hear some amazing stories from experienced tnt'ers, including one who joined tnt in the late eighties with absolutely no idea that she would be diagnosed with cancer ten years later. she was so inspiring!

truthfully, though, it was quite intimidating at first. i arrived and people were all clad in their ultra-hip running gear, with washboard abs and bulging biceps. there were a few people there who were a bit, um, thicker, like me, but for the most part i was milling around by myself, in the middle of a sea of uber-fit mother/daughter, husband/wife, bff pairs. i was fine by myself, i was fine with my body, but mixing those with a whole bunch of exactly the opposite, and a bit of anxiety about the enormous commitment i've just made, was a recipe for some serious discomfort.

as we all gathered into the lecture room (it was at folsom lake college), i texted mel and told her i was overwhelmed and feeling like a very out-of-place blob of hopelessness and, yes, fat. she immediately texted me back to "STOP!" and told me i was doing this, and wasn't allowed to doubt or compare myself to others. one does not mess with miss brown, wink wink. so there i sat. and i just listened. and i remembered all over again why i was so passionate about joining tnt in the first place - it's about something so much bigger than me! it's about a challenge so much greater than any of my challenges!

after the speakers, we divided up into our "teams". i think mine is the biggest, because it is the sacramento run/walk team (the others were placer run/walk, sac/placer triathlon and sac/placer century ride). there were probably 60-70 people there. maybe even 100. honestly, i have no clue because i'm not good at guessing numbers. there were a lot. we went, one-by-one, introducing ourselves and talking about why we joined tnt. serendipitously, i was in the back row, so i got to hear a lot of people talk before it was my turn. i say that was serendipitous because i needed to hear so many people say that they were there for so many of the same reasons i was there. so many people in awe of the opportunity to contribute to a cause. so many people with loved ones impacted by cancer. so many people wanting to get in shape (even if a number of them were new moms in size six spandex).

i got my training schedule for may, a handbook, a tnt water bottle, a tnt chapstick, and was on my way. i felt better, more confident, stronger, ready.

fast forward to today. this evening, actually. i received an email that i got my first donation! that's right, people my first $25! and i haven't even asked (okay formally asked) anyone yet! call me crazy but i believe that this is the universe telling me that i should be doing this! that i am supported and that i can do it! first donation! sweet! i'm 1% of the way there! yes!

so, to recap, my first tnt kickoff, my first tnt donation, and, tomorrow, my highly-anticipated first tnt team workout! 6pm, four miles at glenn hall park. woo hoo! wish me luck!

besos,

liz