Dreams and VRAA

So yesterday after blogging here, I went onto the runnerslounge.com. One of the groups featured there is doing a Virtual Run Across America starting January 2009!! And I signed on! I dont really understand how it works, but I had been toying with the idea of trying to complete 1000 miles in 2009, and this group will run from the East coast to the West Coast in 365 days. Each mile will equal 10 land miles. I will look this up- the distance from the Atlantic to the Pacific across America. I was so enthusiastic that today I managed to run inspite of the shin splints. And I bought new shoes- Asics Gel, panther or some such name, which sound as if they would make me fly over the asphalt- I will start using them Jan 1st 2009. I am so excited!!

Talking of dreams, I think I am a dreamer. Yeah, by 40 , I know this much about myself! Have you heard the Aesop's fable about the milkmaid who starts off with one pail of milk, which she imagines will bring her many riches and when the village boys come to ask for her hand, she would toss her head to say 'no', and she actually tosses her head and drops the precious milkpail, there go her riches and dreams??

Well, I am sort of like her. When I start off with any project, instead of visualising the journey to the ultimate goal, involving hard work and sweat, I get giddy with the joy of having acheived it already. When I read of someone elses exploits, I imagine myself doing the same .
When I first started running, in my dreams, after the marathon I would attempt the Applachian Trail, never mind that my dtrs and DH conspire to keep me under house arrest.
When I started with the weight loss goal, I would lose all the 36 pounds and more and have a lean , mean fighting machine for a body- usually this would be visualised standing in the pantry stuffing myself with stale peanuts or crackers.
My dtrs did not keep up with their piano lessons and I saw myself going for piano lessons and then playing all those old romantic numbers in some esteemed company.

But as some nice person said 'Those who dream, do'. So I keep dreaming and maybe I will never be able to walk/run the Applachian Trail- who can take off for 4-6 months form family life- but I might be able to finsh the Virtual Run Across America!