Got teenagers? Worried about drugs and alcohol? Me too. I’ve had way more cause for concern than most, and frankly, I’ve run out of options—except one…one that I had not taken on because it looked too difficult and painful….and that’s changing me.

This is my journey out of hypocrisy. I was a mother that was telling her kids that drinking and doing drugs is wrong, with a wine glass in my hand. Now please don’t think this is an attack on someone who drinks occasionally, in control. That’s not what I’m talking about. This is for the mother that KNOWS she drinks too much. How much is too much? I don’t know for anyone else. Could be one glass a night, could be one bottle a night. Quantity and frequency don’t matter. It’s how it’s affecting your life, period. I was not a falling down drunk that didn’t get anything done. In fact, I was pretty high functioning. But I knew deep inside I drank too much. And I knew my kids were watching.

After the long term illness and death of my mother, I finally spiraled out of control. I gained massive weight, my blood pressure soared and I had elevated blood sugar readings. I couldn’t walk up a flight of stairs without having to rest. Throughout all of this, I continued to “preach” to my kids…about what they should be doing with their lives. They did not listen, of course. Why would they?

In January of 2007, I began to take matters into my own hands. I lost some weight from walking, but I didn’t make any other lifestyle changes. It wasn’t enough. By summer, I knew I had to resort to more extreme measures….

So what does a 220+ mother of three with a bad knee and in poor health do to set an example for her kids to show them they can do anything they want and don’t need artificial stimulants to change their state?

Why, she decides to run a 26.2 mile marathon, of course.