so i entered a contest

The Cherry Blossom Ten Miler has been on my bucket list since 2008, my senior year of college. I missed the deadline that year, I think because it closed by the time I finished class and ran back to my room. Then last year, I tried again, entering the lottery...and proving yet again that I should never gamble.

I've been wavering about entering for 2012. The thought of losing another lottery is disheartening. And with some big life changes coming soon, I wasn't even sure I wanted to commit the training time.

Until I saw an email saying that two runners would be picked as the Cherry Blossom's "Social Media Runners." Two runners get the privilege of documenting their journey, their training, their struggles, their triumphs, their fears, as they inspire and encourage fellow runners to reach the starting line. I decided: I want to run the Ten Miler. And I wanted to enter this contest.

So here's my entry. It's submitted. Now we wait.

I am a normal person trying to survive in our abnormal world--I work 4 jobs (one full-time!), I watch movies multiple nights a week (because we’re too cheap for cable!), I’m looking for just the right person to share my life with (male, smart, rich, and blonde!), and I struggle with finding Saturday night activities that will end in time for my Sunday morning run (Redbox, anyone?). I would be a great social media runner because I am so very normal--I'm not a marathoner, I've proudly completed exactly one half-marathon, and I have never finished in the top 50 in any 5k’s, even the small ones! Like most normal people, I often struggle to maintain the running habit, especially with a life full of work, volunteering, and friendships. I've always wanted to run the Cherry Blossom but I have never won the lottery; in fact, I’m so normal that I’ve never even won a raffle! 

The average Joe (and the average Jane) would relate to me because after all, we are each quite normal, despite individual quirks. We all want to be prettier, smarter, faster, stronger, and better at everything—the question is, can a normal person really overcome the abnormalities of our modern world to succeed at a dream? Can a normal person—one who struggles with witty tweets; who always aims to run more miles than she actually does; who facebooks in the wee hours of the morning; who desires but has yet to reach a meaningful outlet for writing on her blog—really fulfill her four year dream of running the Cherry Blossom? As one of the social media runners for the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, I would relish the opportunity to inspire others to make real their wildest imaginings.