I feel really guilty about neglecting my blog for so long. I've being going through a tough time, and a lot of things in my life were set aside while I was trying to "fix" things. As I was cleaning the other day, I realized my shoes were an analogy for my life. I have a lot of pairs of shoes. More than 35. Some of them are just adorable, like my Cole Hahn ballet flats with Nike air technology. They retail for around $180, but I bought off a ebay for around $70 a year or two ago. These Cole Hahns are probably the most expensive shoes I own (besides my running shoes). These shoes are gorgeous turquoise leather with little crystals on them. Just look at them!

I always get compliments when I wear them. The thing is, they hurt like hell. Even with Body Glide. They're painful to wear. I've worn them fewer times than I can count on both hands. But because I spent so much money on them, and because they look so cute, I kept them.

Yesterday, when counted all of the shoes that I own, I decided I could let go of those Cole Hahns. I have plenty of cute shoes that don't hurt my feet. No, they're not as pricey or glamorous as my Cole Hahns, but they're more comfortable. So I'm going to take those fabulous Cole Hahn ballet flats to a consignment store. Besides, I don't have room on my shoe rack for all of my shoes. And who knows, I might find an even better pair of shoes...

This isn't just a story about shoes. It's about anything in your life that you want to hold on to--objects, goals, jobs, or even people. Maybe you hold on because you've invested in it, because people compliment you on it, because it was a good deal, or because of any number of other excuses out there. But if something isn't right fit for you, then the best thing that you can do is to let go.

What's been keeping me going through all this? The Hood to Coast Relay! There have definitely been a few days where I thought about dropping out of my team, but I just couldn't do it to them so close to the race, so I've kept training. This will be my first year doing HTC and it's on my bucket list, so I figure I better do it now even though I've been feeling like a mess. And I figured I'd be in an even bigger funk than I am now if I backed out. So here's what I've gotten myself into:

• Hood to Coast has been nicknamed "The Mother of All Relays" because it is the largest relay in the world.
  
• 12,000 runners participate.
• The course goes from Mt. Hood to Seaside, which is 197 miles.

I'm pretty nervous about the relay, but also really excited. My team is awesome, and I think we'll have a lot of fun. Expect a race recap next week :)