Rumble In The Bay

Posted Mar 31, 2006 by jriley

Updated Mar 31, 2006 at 03:13 PM

Here we are…poised at the starting line of what will be a long race.  Each one of us imagines what the finish line will look like and each one of us sees something different.  Each one of us has to maneuver around different obstacles along the way.  Each one of us is starting out on a journey and no two journeys will be alike.  Let me tell you a little bit about my journey.

For almost 10 years, I served on active duty in the United States Air Force.  I returned to civilian life this past January.  Being active duty, I was subjected to countless Physical Training (PT) tests.  Therefore, I was in pretty good shape.

In 1998, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  Despite starting a lifelong regimen on synthroid, I still managed to keep my weight in check.  FYI, I’ve been cancer-free since 2000.  In 2004, I gave birth to a bouncing baby girl.  Like my mother before me, I gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy…thanks, Mom!  (Side note:  she looks great now!)  I gained 55 pounds!  However, I dropped 25 pounds in the first two months after my daughter was born, bringing me down to 150.  I thought “I’ll be back to my old self in no time!”  Then the medical monster reared its ugly head again.  I developed several large blood clots in my left lung.  The doctors told me I had suffered “substantial pulmonary emboli.”  I was put on Coumadin for 6 months and the doctors wouldn’t allow me to workout while I was on the medication.  Tack on another 3 months for tests and before I knew it, I had tacked on another 15 pounds.

Since then, I’ve been deemed “healthy” and I’ve been given the green light to work out to my heart’s content.  However, I don’t look very healthy.  So here I am waiting for the starting gun.  When I imagine that finish line, I see health and a long life of hearing my husband and daughter laugh.  I see us running, jumping, and playing…all without me running out of steam or needing a break to catch my breath.

Now that the depressing stuff is out of the way, let’s have some fun!  The women, a.k.a. Marty’s Angels, are ready and raring to go and we need your support!  Whether it’s cheering, words of encouragement, or stories about your own journey, we’d love to hear it!  Tenisha and Kaye have already proven to be the best teammates.  Their enthusiasm and desire to reach their goals are incomparable.  I’m grateful to have them sharing in this experience.  That being said – bring it on guys!  Let’s see what you got!

On your mark…get set…