As you know, I recently celebrated my 39th birthday. And as a result of that, I am launching a new project for 2011.

Sound ominous?

Perhaps.

While training for the last marathon with Katie, we would often joke about our impending “40th,” largely due to the fact that we both hitting the milestone in 2011. As I have said before, neither of us are necessarily overjoyed or devastated by it, just acutely aware that it is there lurking in the horizon.

Many of our friends have had bad reactions to turning 40. Many have not. But ALL have been aware of it’s significance in their life. Which is why we  jokingly dubbed the upcoming 11 month’s to “F U 40″ and vowed to devote them to whatever makes us feel less “middle-aged” and thus reducing the potential for over reaction.

When Katie and I discuss “F U 40″ it  is usually in the context of running. But being a goal junkie, I decided to take a different route in embracing my upcoming milestone. In doing some soul searching, I’ve noticed a pattern of  safety and conformity. I tend to opt for the road MORE traveled. I like things that are familiar and less intimidating.

That is no longer an option.

For the purposes of this blog, I am calling my upcoming year of “F U 40″ … “Project Me 2011.” Original, ain’t it? (Sorry. I’m just not in a clever mood today and I don’t want to always refer to it as “F U 40.”)

Each month I will be concentrating on tasks that make me branch out, do something different and/or take a chance. That being said, don’t expect me to jump out of an airplane, folks. Whatever I do or don’t do has to fit into my budget and lifestyle. Meaning, I’m not going to take a chance at death while my kids are young. I also want to keep this loose because I suspect that inspiration will hit me as I go along. I plan to announce each new “project” at the beginning of the month.

Of course, I will blog the whole thing. That is a given. (Speaking of… blogging in a more honest and open way is one of my most difficult challenges. Talk about making me uncomfortable? Ugh. That will do it.)

I hope that you will join me on this journey. Should be fun and uncomfortable and interesting. It is my hope that what I learn this year will inspire a new life spent taking the road LESS traveled.

Update: Each month I have been blogging and sometimes privately journalling my experiences. I highly recommend it. Especially if you are a writer at heart. It is really making a difference in my life! (May 2011)

East coast families… Looking for a holiday getaway idea? Would your family be interested in one that is part snowland, part holiday hoedown and part water park?

Who wouldn’t?

Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia, will be offering all of this and more when kicking off their holiday season on Friday, Dec. 10 with “Christmas on Highway 101,” featuring Grammy-nominated country artists Highway 101. (I’m a huge fan from back in the Nashville days!) Concert goers can expect the band to perform many of their classics, as well as holiday hits from their “Christmas on Highway 101″ DVD. And coinciding with concert is their Snowland event! With real snow falling in the Grand Lobby every day, Santa appearances and yuletide decorations, Snowland is one of the most anticipated events of the season!

As if that weren’t enough, Great Wolf Lodge has a massive indoor entertainment area (40,000 – 100,000 square feet) filled with amazing things for families to do together: indoor water park (squee!), arcade/game rooms, fitness rooms, themed restaurants, spas, supervised children’s activities and more!

Tickets to “Christmas on Highway 101” begin at $25 per person, or $35 per person including hors d’oeuvres served at 7 p.m. For more information or to reserve tickets for the event, call (757) 345-7148 or (757) 345-7146. If you can’t join Great Wolf on Dec. 10, you can experience Snowland throughout the entire month of December. More information is available at http://www.greatwolf.com/williamsburg/waterpark.

*Disclosure:  In return for sharing event information & details with my readers – I was offered tickets to this show for myself & my family, along with a night stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg.  I hope that many of you are able to attend this show because it is going to be a fantastic way to celebrate the holidays! (Let me know if you go and we can meet up!)

This weekend was an overwhelming, non-stop whirlwind of action. Our stay in NYC was brief – we got there on Saturday at noon and left Sunday night at 9 (Lori & I) but it was exhilarating. (Katie & Brian stayed one day longer.)

If I were to try to write a blog post detailing the experience though, I would be here forever! So I opted to do it in a timeline this way… (My personal thoughts are in paranthesis.)

Trains. Taxis. Hotel. Expo. Pasta Dinner. Cupcakes. (Wow! Magnolia Bakery Rocks.) Early Sleep. Shuttles. Ferry Rides. Fort Wadsworth. (Aww, I Used To Live Here!)Runners Village. Heated Tent. (Coffee And Fooood!!!!) 10:40am. Orange Wave. Overzealous Pacer Group. (Why Is The Pace Girl Sprinting? Come Back Here!) Long Bridges. Photographers. Mile 4. Music. Cheering. Screaming. Water. Gatorade. (Where Is My GU?) Live Bands. Costumed Spectators. QUEENSBORO BRIDGE (AHHHH!) Another mile. (Who’s Idea Was This, Anyway?) Hills. Great Signs. Music. Another Boro. Another Bridge. (Really?! Was That Necessary?) Church Service. Rap Music.  ”Jared” Faces Everywhere. Disgusting Bathrooms. Another Bridge. (Who Designed This Course, Anyway?) More Cheering. (Needing Water ASAP.) Another Mile. AT&T Not Working. (Excuse Me But Why Does This Course Never Seem To Go Down Hill?) “The Wall.” Stretching.  Five Miles To Go. AT&T Still Not Working. Parties Everywhere. (Is That “Where’s Waldo” Running With An Armadillo?) Central Park. Lots Of People! Screaming. (Are We Done Yet?) Fans Everywhere. (I Can’t Run One More Mile. Oh Hell, One Point Five To Go.) More Photographers. Cow Bells. (Did We Just Pass The Chilean Miner? Crazy!) Lori & Brian. (Squee! There They Are!) So Close. The Finish Line! (Thank You Baby Jesus!) Big Hugs! Finishers Medals. Commemorative Picture. Fluid And Food Bag. (All I Want To Know Is…Did We Beat Jared Or Al Roker?) Long Walk Out Of The Chute. Freezing Cold. AT&T Never Works. (I Can’t Believe We Did It! I Think I Need A Steak!) Proudly Displayed Medal. Train Ride Home. 1:00am. (Somebody Remind Me To Never Do This Again.) Sleep.

Since half of the reason I was able to get across the finish line in the first place had everything to do with inspiration, I thought I would share some of the best signs I saw out on the course yesterday:

• “Toenails are overrated anyway.”
• “You can and you will.”
• “If Palin can run, so can you!”
• “Finishing is your only option.”
• “If marathons were easy we would all be doing it!”
• “You are stronger than you think.”
• “Chuck Norris never ran a marathon.”
• And my personal favorite… “You are not a wimp!” (Thanks Lori!)

I would just like to take a second to personally thank every single New Yorker (You know who you are. Heh.) who yelled a affirming statement directed at me. From the “You go Jen!” to the “Stay strong” to the “You’ve got this girl!” and the “Dig deep Jen, you are almost home!”… you made me cry, you made me laugh and you ALL got me over the finish line. You will probably never see this blog post or remember me, little runner number 53-416 from Maryland, but I was deeply moved and completely inspired. My gratitude goes out to you.

I can’t believe I just ran the New York City Marathon! Woo hoo!

By the time you read this, the crew (Lori, Katie, Brian and I) will be on our way to New York to conquer the New York Marathon.

Oh. Yeah. Baby.

In case you want to follow along with our adventures, you can check me out on Twitter (@mammamania) or on Hip As I Wanna Be’s Facebook page.  My bib number is 53416 for those feeling all stalkerish… heh.

And a big shout out to all of the people who supported my charity- Run For Something Better. What a blessing you have been to all of the children who need you!

Thank you! Thank you…

• Flatout Bread, Inc.
• Joe & Linda Winter
• Jack Mory
• Tom Lynch & Karlys Kline
• Katie Barkdoll
• Holly Haught
• Barbara Winter
• Beth Schillaci
• Cheryl Fanning
• Collin & Sharon Kelly
• Jeff Grouser
• Jerry & Yvonne Schaefer
• Lori Rypka
• Roger Smith
• Larry Herman
• Karen Maduschke
• Kimberly Hanner
• Amanda Changuris
• Anastasia Resnik
• Bart Yasso
• Chris Eurice
• Deborah Molesworth
• Donna Nagy
• Elizabeth Parziale
• Jessica McFadden
• Joshua Bokee
• Katie Atkinson
• Kimberly Breen
• Mary Heston
• Mary Kate Battles
• Melissa Curtis Cherry
• Sue Paul
• Teresa Strahlman
• Tom & Annette Nicolay
• Tracey Capone
• Guy Fletcher
• Janet Winter
• Jill Smokler
• Kevin Bruce
• Mary McCarthy
• Cathy & Greg Claycamp
• Michele Anderson
• Nancy Luse
• Sunday Stilwell
• Wilton Stitely
• Elena Sonnino
• Jennifer Alcorn
• Sheri Sorrell
• Andre Pellet
• Brian Dyl
• Erin Domareki
• Stacey Ferguson
• Erica Moore
• Dotty Koster
• Tracy O’Dowd
• Aunt Franny

And I would be remiss without thanking my family as well as all of my blogging, social media and IRL pals who are constantly cheering me on and helping me believe in myself! You guys are unfreaking-believable.

Now, let’s rock this marathon-thing!

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” – Christopher Robin to Pooh

 Get rid of your of worries. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. -1Peter 5:7

This Mom Blogger is running in the NEW YORK MARATHON in 2 days.

OH. DEAR. LORD.

Expect this blog to be filled with random marathon stuff from here on out. If you are looking for pictures from NYC then best to stalk my Facebook page or Twitter feed come Saturday morning. Not sure if I will be able to post much.

RANDOM RAMBLE #1: One of the things that I have been most freaked out about is the lettering on my shirt.  By “lettering” I mean my name. I have to have people yelling for me so that I can get across that FINISH LINE. The problem here is that I am just not that gifted when it comes to “iron on” crafts. I must have skipped that badge in Brownies because I HAVE BEEN STRESSING. Thankfully my dear, sweet, lovely NYC race support bestie Lori Rypka took matters into her own hands and ironed them on for me.  How hard is it to iron on three little letters? Hard enough for me to call in a lifeline, people.

RANDOM RAMBLE #2: Please don’t let me forget the Body Glide. Someone remind me. Err, Katie?

Andy Baldwin of The Bachelor fame.

RANDOM RAMBLE #3: The hot “bachelor” tweeted me today. Yeah, that one. See, all marathons are not bad. Need proof? Check it out, yo! (Okay, obviously he is a cute and very fit  “bachelor” and I am a middle aged mother of two who will barely finish this race but let me have my moment in the sun where I pretend like he and I really connected in a deep meaningful Twitter/marathon kind of way.)

RANDOM RAMBLE #4: There is a really good chance that I will be an emotional basket case prior to the marathon beginning at 10:40am. (My wave.) The race begins in Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. I grew up in Fort Wadsworth. Although they tore down the houses I personally lived in, our tents in the start village are located directly in the field where I played as a child.  My entire “being” as an adult crazy woman that I am was shaped by those years living there. I have always wanted to go back. I will be a mess. Trust me.

I guess that is all for now. More rambling tomorrow….

Oh yeah, if you are interested, I wrote a column this week on my Twitter/marathon issues at Want2Dish.com. I’m also featured the DNA Info / Manhattan article “NYC Marathon Runners Plan to Use Twitter During Race.” Obviously I have Twitter issues as well as “iron on” issues.

I’m a complex woman.