March 1st: 2:04:00 Baby!!!

proud 2

Its called the Best Damn Race…. and it was definitely MY Best Damn Race.  I beat my personal record by 4 minutes!  The official times are not yet available on the race’s web site but as I crossed the finish, the time clock read 2:04:00 exactly!!  I couldn’t believe it!  I am over-joyed and feeling GREAT!

No tummy aches today either!  I think I just needed to include more protein in my diet!  One down and one to go for this crazy weekend.  Tonight, we will be having a pre-Mardi Gras extravaganza at a local pub and making King Cake, lol.  Let the good times roll!

Wish us luck tomorrow… Swamp House here we come!!

February 24th: 5 days to go!!

swamp and best

My crazy 1/2 marathon double-hitter weekend is quickly approaching, folks!  This Saturday, I will be running the “Best Damn Race” followed by Sunday’s “Swap House 1/2 marathon” in Orlando!

Crazy?… yes…. Crazy Awesome!  What better way can you think of to end an amazing running season?!  I’ve had some amazing runs, some disappointments, hit some personal records and over-all feel that I have finally come into my own as a runner.

My sister and I are psyched but a little freaked out to say the least!  We will be doing Saturday’s race for time but Sunday’s race for fun…  The Swamp House race has a really fun after party we are looking forward to the entertainment, food and endless FREE BEER to celebrate our hard work!  (We are also planning on celebrating Mardi Gras in one of Orlando’s many great hot spots so, the weekend will be a non-stop thread of manic running and shenanigans.  Just the way we like it!)

Check out the Best Damn Race and Swamp House web sites!:

http://bestdamnrace.com/orlando/

http://www.swamphousehalfmarathon.com/

What amazing ways are you planning on ending your race seasons this year??!  Please share!

 

Decreed to the Universe

intention

OK everyone. As I mentioned in my post after my last half marathon 2 weeks ago, recent personal events have led me to make some changes to my running schedule this season. I promised myself I would only be changing dates, not changing the amount of races, and really focus on achieving my goal to p.r. at every event by at least one minute. So far, I have been beating my times by two minutes each race!!

My little sister, who will be doing her first FULL MARATHON the Sunday after Thanksgiving, asked me casually last week if I would be available to do the “Best Damn Race” half marathon http://bestdamnrace.com/orlando/ with her on Saturday March 1st. I was originally scheduled for the 13.1 Allstate Miami Beach that weekend and jumped at the chance to change my schedule and do a race with her instead… but then she dropped the bomb on me: She was also scheduled for a SECOND HALF MARATHON THE FOLLOWING DAY and wanted me to participate in both with her. http://www.swamphousehalfmarathon.com/

Back to back half marathons in ONE WEEKEND?! This is the stuff that only lunatics (like full marathoners) come up with. Now, my girlfriends might try to convince you that this whole break-up had me on the verge of an Elizabeth Gilbert-esque Eat, Pray, Love life-crisis for a couple of days but… Im not THAT crazy. So, I told Georgette she was nuts and declined.

A couple of days later… I thought of my friend Madelyn. While I may not see Madelyn very frequently and I can’t say that I know her too intimately, my interactions with her are always positive and impactful. She has good intentions for others, is sincere with her words and is always spiritual, positive and up-lifting. She’s a pretty amazing vehicle for the messages I need to hear at the times I need to hear them and I’m always a willing listener.

Madelyn shared some of her personal intentions on Facebook that week and claimed that they were “Decreed to the Universe”! It made me smile because I realized that thats the only way that anything really happens: we must decree our desires, believe that they are possible and be receptive to them when they arrive. There are many things I need to decree to the Universe at this point of my life, especially those things that I thought I had, those that I have lost and and those that I fear I will never truly create.

I’ve decided that I will start “small” and make my first decree this: I will take the challenge of running two half marathons in one weekend with my wack-a-doo sister as the finale to my running season this year. It is Decreed to the Universe!!

Next step: Decreeing Happiness, Love and Family