The time has come!!!!

17 months ago, via c-section, I gave birth to Emily. By that time, we had known for 20 weeks that she had meylomengocele spina bifida. That was about all we knew. We didn't know what her medical needs would be, what her physical needs would be, what her developmental needs would be.

But we didn't know a lot of other things, either. We didn't know she would be so adorable. We didn't know she'd love to hug everything. We didn't know she'd be so happy. We didn't know she'd be so determined. We didn't know she'd work so hard.

We didn't know we could love her as much as we do.

Four months ago, shortly after Emily turned one, Chris and I decided, in an effort to show Emily that we were also working hard for her, that I would run the ING NYC Marathon on behalf of the National Spina Bifida Association. Chris task was to raise $5000 or more for the national SBA. My task was to train, and run the 26.2 mile race in 6 hours or less. And so we jumped in, and with 4 other runners (one of whom is my sister, Emily's Auntie Katie), started working hard for Joshua and Emily's team for SBA: Conquering NYC to help conquer Spina Bifida.

Chris has held up his end, and held it up well. Our friends and family and virtual friends and strangers and business people and therapists and coworkers have given generously, and we raised $8,500.00. What an unbelievable accomplishment! I'm not sure I can ever say thanks enough times.

Our collective team has raised just under $30,000.00, with more donations still coming in. That's $29,000 that went directly to the Spina Bifida Association, to help educate the world about what Spina Bifida is, and help enhance the lives--live like Emily's--of those with Spina Bifida.

Now after 18 weeks of training, it's time to do my part. I've done all the training. I've clocked 464 miles. I've trained for 15 weeks. I've overcome a torn meniscus. I've crossed trained with circuit training and spin and yoga. I've iced. I've rested. I've wondered if I'm insane. I've felt the exhilaration of hard work. And it all comes down to Sunday.

At 6:20 AM Sunday November 7th, hours after my sister has left for her 5:15AM transportation assignment, I'll hop in a cab with one of the team mates, Scott (who is running in honor of his 8-year old son, Joshua) and we'll head to the Staten Island Ferry terminal a few block away for our 7:15 transportation to Staten Island. Once there I'll probably stretch...complain about the cold, find out if I have enough layers on...eat...hydrate...make upteen trips to the port-o-potty. I'll watch the 9:40 wave go, and the 10:20 wave go, and then at 10:40, I'll start making my way over the start line for the race of a lifetime, as a 33 year old stay-at-home mom to Emily. And, 5 hours and 15 minutes (plus or minus 15 minutes) later I'll cross the finish line in Central Park and be able to add something on to who I am: a marathoner.

We all have the opportunity in life to change something - ourselves, others, a concept, a belief. Sometimes change happens to us, and we resist it. We challenge it. We argue with it. We think it isn't the "right" change. Then, we realize it was just the change we needed, that it set us on a new path, one we never imagined but one we are so grateful to be on. And that leads to more change, because now we are open to so many more possibilities; we know we are stronger than we ever thought.

Isn't it amazing how something like a diagnosis of Spina Bifida can have such a positive effect on so much?

Thank you to everyone for your words of encouragement, your contributions, your thoughts, and prayers. Thanks for all the support! I've truly been touched by the outpouring of support. A special Thanks to Katie for facilitating this Marathon path and saying "hey, why don't you run it, too?" Thanks to Chris for putting up with me and the demanding training schedule. Thanks to my mom for supporting me and helping with Emily. Thanks to my 4 team mates, for fundraising and working for this important cause.

I'll see you all next week, on the other side of the finish line.