The 500,000 step guide to Become Yourself

183 day, 4,394 hours, 263,673 minutes

That's how many days I have to run 250 miles.

And I'm lazy. So....that's a lot of miles for me.

How this all started was my friend and fellow Medifaster, Stephanie,  needed a new challenge. We are both in a similar spot right now. I'm feeling a little lost because I'm nearing the end of my weight loss journey. She feels a lost because she has been in maintenance for a while and feels like she doesn't have anything challenging her to stay on course. 

My big idea gears started turning. I felt bad that Stephanie seemed so down in the dumps and I wanted to help her fix it. I started thinking about a new running challenge for her. Since we both plan to go to NYC for BlogHer'12 in August, I thought a goal that was capped off with that event would be a good idea. Then it came to me! Originally I suggested that over the next 183 days she run the total miles it would take to get from her home in Florida to the Hilton in NYC, where BlogHer will be hosted.

It's important to note that I am not yet involved in this plan.

It's also important to note that this would mean she'd have to run seven miles, every day for the next 183 days.

One thousand, two hundred, eighty one miles.

1,281.

As I lay in bed last night I realized that I may have just inadvertently hatched a plan to kill my friend.

By morning I had emailed her to suggest running this relay style and split the mileage. Still though this is a pretty lofty goal. So we went back and forth and realized the sole reason we are even talking about this is because of Medifast. If not for their generosity, Stephanie and I would not even be in a position to run one mile let alone hundreds.

As a tribute and thank you to our sponsors for all the love and support they've shown us in the last year, Stephanie and I will each run 250 miles over the next 183 days. This is roughly the distance from Medifast HQ in Baltimore to the Hilton in NYC. We hope to run the last three miles together in NYC.

Renee, Brian, Jennifer, Laura and Medifast as a whole have given us so much more than a simple partnership with our blogs. They've helped us reach our personal goals - weight and otherwise, connected us with others to build a community and brought two friends even closer together despite the miles between us. 

Its been a long year full of struggles that have built muscle in our bodies, minds and hearts. Because we are so grateful, Stephanie and I want to pay it forward. In addition to reaching a personal running goal of 250 miles each, we plan to donate money to Girls on the Run and we hope we can inspire you to make a pledge as well. Stephanie and I both agree that Girls on the Run is something that both of us could have benefited from as young girls.

Girls on the Run® is a life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls age eight to thirteen years old. The programs combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development.

Medifast has helped us become who were are and we'd like to help another generation of girls and women do the same. It's our hope that you will join us in raising funds to donate to Girls on the Run. In the coming days I will set up a donations link in my sidebar. I hope you'll think of a young lady in your life that would benefit from this program and donate. Also in my sidebar are new widgets so you can track our progress.

See you in NYC!