Becoming Untouchable

I want to make myself untouchable at the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco on October 14, 2012. Becoming untouchable does not mean that I will win the race, it does not mean that I will even finish in the top 10. Being untouchable to me means that I will have trained harder than I ever thought possible, fought through the moments when I wanted to give in to the pain or my tiredness, and I will be ready when my moment comes. I want to crush my previous marathon time and set my own sub four hour marathon PR.

I have had moments throughout the last few months of training where I questioned what I was doing and why I was putting my body through this rigorous training. Luckily, I have always had another voice in my head that wins out, this one telling me to never stop, that it will all be worth it. Sometimes this voice comes from the girls on the Nike Women Team - Lydia, Nicole and Marie - through a phone call, email, brand new box of Nike gear or tweet. Other times I get support and the fuel to push forward though Elizabeth, Tiara, Nerissa and Jenae - my fellow Sisters In Nike. When I am feeling like sleeping in I just have to look at my Facebook or Twitter feed to see my friends training and working hard and I know that I want to do this with them. I want to become my best self. I want to be untouchable. I don't want to ever feel like I could have given more than I gave.

The Nike Women's Marathon is only two months away and my training time is quickly flying by. I am enjoying the experience immensely and couldn't imagine a better way to live my life. I know that this experience and the opportunity that Nike Women have given me is immeasurable. I have decided to pursue my dream of becoming a personal trainer as soon as the marathon is over, and maybe even someday reach my ultimate dream of working for Nike Women, the very people who gave me the chance to push myself and reach my potential. I have never felt more alive than when I am training and chasing after a goal. I never want to lose track of this feeling. I am in my element when I am training and know that this is my true calling. I have only been sitting at my desk job for two years, but I am beginning to realize how much I have missed my calling.

When Leah Kim wrote her book "From Office Hell to Yoga Heaven," she could not have been speaking to anyone more than me. I could relate to everything she said in her book, and I mean EVERYTHING. I went to business school, and like her find myself hating my desk job. I LOVE working out and yoga and would enjoy sharing this with everyone. My dream job would be to work with Nike, and she received an email from them out of the blue that led to her Global Yoga Ambassadorship. I also received an email from Nike, asking me to be their Nike Women's Marathon Training Ambassador for the Nike Women's Marathon 2012. I enjoy writing like Leah and would one day love to write a book like she did. The only difference I see right now is that I have, until this point, not been brave enough to quit my current job and pursue my dreams.

2012 has been full of surprises and new opportunities. It has been a year where I have learned more about myself and my career passions than I ever learned in college. I am realizing the truth that when you follow your passion and dreams things really do start to fall into place. I can hardly wait to see what the future holds for me. At this point in my life it seems that with hard work and belief in my passions anything is possible.

I need to say a huge thanks to Nike Women, Leah Kim, Marie, Lydia, Nicole, Tiara, Elizabeth, Nerissa, and Jenae for showing me the way to follow my dreams, for inspiring me to never give up, for giving me the support I need to push myself daily and for lighting a fire in my life to begin to pursue my passion and not wait for things to happen. This year I am going to make myself untouchable. I will find my greatness.