By Rachael W

I was always athletic, (swim team in high school and a cheerleader for 10 years) but NEVER a runner. In fact, I was the person that would rather skip school on the day we had to run the mile in PE than actually run it! Ha! But, after 4 kids and neglecting my own health for theirs, I was out of shape to say the least. 

When we moved to NC, I joined a gym.  A gym that I used only a handful of times because my youngest child would refuse to stay in the daycare.  So, I remained out of shape; my former self just a whisper of a memory. 

Then, my son decided to join the STRIDE Program to run a 5K with his school in May of 2017.  He was going to need a buddy to run it with him, so I had planned on sending my husband. You know, the Marine that could run 3 miles in his sleep. But it was my neighbor (who IS a runner) who decided she was going to do it with her son and somehow she talked me into doing the same. It was hard. I didn't know what I was doing, and at that point I could not complete a mile without stopping, but I ran a 5K! Well, I didn’t exactly “run” it, but I finished it (in 37 minutes) and I swore that I'd NEVER run again! 

When I posted my pictures to Facebook I had several friends comment that I should join Stroller Warriors®.  One was a friend with the Camp Pendleton chapter and another, a former Lejeune chapter member, who had since moved to Parris Island. I thought they were crazy but I went ahead and joined the group page. (Why did a non-runner, that never wanted to run again, join a RUNNING CLUB? Well, because her youngest child refused to be out of her sight and after trying to drop her off at the gym daycare for a year and a half only to have her scream for 15 minutes straight, ending with us having to leave the gym before my workout even began.) After a week of thinking on it, I decided to go to a workout. At that point I figured I had nothing to lose, at least I could walk and it was something I could do WITH my then almost 2 year old instead of sticking her in the gym daycare to scream. 

So I joined this running club, even though I wasn’t a runner and I hated running, but it wasn’t just ANY running club, it was Stroller Warriors, a running club for military spouses and it was unlike any other group I’d ever belonged to. I went to my first workout and my little one enjoyed the "friends" SO much. The kids were all immediate friends and loved getting together at the park after our runs, while the adults enjoyed the conversations after the workout. The club itself was full of encouraging friends that would make you believe you could do anything... even run a half marathon!

I kept going to the workouts, kept making friends, and kept running. Little by little I could run a little more and a little more. I could complete a mile without stopping and then two and then three and before you knew it I was signing up for races and the women of Stroller Warriors were encouraging me the whole way!

As a member of Stroller Warriors® I found myself. 

That whisper of a memory of the competitive athlete I once was - was no longer a whisper. In 2018 I became a chapter workout assistant and trained for and ran my first half marathon (although the original race that I was going to run - and had trained for - was cancelled due to Hurricane Florence, I was able to run a half with a group of warriors in December) and I am now training for my first marathon in 2019!

I am not exaggerating when I say that the Stroller Warriors Running Club changed my life - it has led me to a wonderful tribe in a place that is so far away from my own family, and pushed me to do hard things that I never thought I could do! 

With the welcoming of each new year, it seems it's tradition to reflect on the past year and either start working on your New Year's Resolution(s), usually in some form of self improvement, or perhaps think "Why bother? Some things just never change."

For 2019, I would encourage you to reflect on a word, one that just might change your whole prospective on this new year.

Opportunity.
A time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

This new year offers so many opportunities.

Opportunity for great things to come INTO your life.
Opportunity to LET GO of the things that need to go.

Opportunity to BELIEVE in yourself.
THIS is YOUR year.
What do you want to look back on in 365 days
and say with incredible pride...."YES! I TOTALLY ACCOMPLISHED THAT!"

I have no doubt that the only way I crossed the finish line at Marine Corps Marathon in 2016, 11 months post-Cesarean, with a bum right knee, was because I believed that I could!
(Plus lots of training miles - because there IS that ;))

If you believe it, you really can do it. It is not just some hokey catch phrase - the mind is such a POWERFUL thing and you truly aren't giving yourself enough credit.
You are strong - mentally and physically.
You are capable.
You are deserving.

So what is something you've considered trying, but didn't believe you could do?
Change your inner monologue and start telling yourself, not only that you can, but you WILL do it. Remind yourself often.
Make it your locked cell phone screen - how many times a day do you see that?! ;)
Write it on a note and place it by your bed side, on the bathroom mirror, and anywhere else that might continually remind you.
There will, without a doubt, be challenging days, so recruit some close friends and family to be in your corner and cheer you on; especially on the hard days.

Opportunity to take the time for YOU.
You know the saying... "You can't pour from an empty cup," and it's true.
Initially it seems selfish to take time for yourself, but once you start doing it, you see the value.
You realize that the self care actually results in a happier, healthier you!  Carve out time, start small if you need to, but treat it like any other appointment and commit to it.

Opportunity to say "no" to adding more commitments to your plate. Far too often we overwhelm ourselves and end up doing okay at all of our commitments rather than really GREAT at just a few. 

Opportunity to show your kids that life is short; be spontaneous and go for it! In the process you'll make lifelong memories you all will treasure.

Opportunity to get involved with or support an organization you feel passionate about. When we give to others, we feel so great about ourselves! 

Opportunity to set GOALS.
Opportunity to set a big, huge, crazy awesome goal and chase after it like you've never done before.
It will take time, but the time is going to pass anyway.

Be sure to be specific when setting a goal.
About 5 years ago I came across SMART goals.
Use the acronym to make your goal more clear, and thus more achievable.
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Realistic
T - Time-Based
If it is a long term goal, be sure to break it down into a handful of short term goals.
Focusing on just 1 week at a time, so as to not get overwhelmed, can lead to big results.
For example, just running 3 miles a week, for 52 weeks, and you will have run more than 150 miles - surpassing the first milestone in Stroller Warriors Runopoly!

Opportunity to make PLANS. 
Fail to plan, plan to fail, right?! 
So many times we have such great intentions to do this, that or the other and yet we take no real action to make them become a reality. Take a step. Make a plan and set it into motion.
Like any good military family member should, be sure to have plans A, B, and C and be flexible as to which one you use. In fact, you might need to use a little of all three. Embrace it; the final destination is still possible and definitely worth the effort.
I put this into practice in 2018; I set a personal goal of 1 date night a month. Nothing fancy or stressful, just 4-5 kid free hours to hang out with just my husband. By using my plan, of texting my sitter at the first of every month to set it up... 8 of 12 months did indeed have a date night! They were such a gift to our marriage. While I didn't meet my goal at 100%, we both enjoyed the time so much that we will do the same in 2019.

Opportunity to focus on the POSITIVE.
Actively SEEK out the POSITIVE in EVERY situation. The negatives are so easy to spot... look past them this year and find the positives - they ARE there.

Happy New Year, Warriors!
Wishing you new and exciting opportunities each and every day this new year.
​~Paige