Hills & The Stories We Tell Ourselves

Something really awesome happened this weekend, not to me, it happened to one of my athletes during our Saturday group run.  The run itself was seemingly unremarkable- miserable is probably an appropriate descriptor- it was 46 degrees and raining.  Part of our route went through a closed road which is under construction that the rain turned into a muddy mess and we had to cross this section twice since the course was out-and-back.  I'm talking mud the texture of quicksand, for a good 75 feet.

Okay, this MAY be a slight exaggeration.

The route I picked was pretty hilly.  Well, in fairness, it was not just hilly, it was HILLY. Several large, long, steep, scary hills. Naturally, I did not warn my athletes, I just told then which direction to go and they headed out, me peddling my bike along side of them.

Fast forward, 30 minutes later...remember I said that this route was HILLY?  Well, the three worst hills are in the last mile of the course and they are brutal. I was riding along side of two runners, Jessica and Beth, when we got to the first of these hills and they were holding a 10 minute per mile pace.  I put on my coaching hat and encouraged them to hold that pace up this REALLY long hill...and they did.

But their legs, sadly, were pretty much toast at this point.

Then, a little over a half-mile later, we hit the second of the aforementioned hills, not as long as the previous, but pretty darn steep.  Jessica began to pull ahead (speed demon) but I stuck with Beth.  What Beth didn't know at the time was that she was holding a pace that I had never before seen her run.  I had been working with her for more than 2 months and this pace was incredible for her- and she was 3.5 miles in.  Impressive.  But she began to struggle on this second hill.  Her breathing pattern changed and it became obvious to me that she was panicking.  I encouraged her to settle down as we got to the top of this hill but we both knew that the excruciating uphill finish was still coming.  I coached her through breath control and form but I could feel her frustration.  So I did what I had to do, I let her in on the secret: "Beth, you are running a 10-minute per mile pace, so if it feels hard it's because you're killing it not because you're weak." I don't think she believed me at first but I assured her that she was in fact running faster than she ever had, for almost 4 miles, in the rain, through the mud. And with that, she found her second wind.

Here she is in between Hill #1 and Hill #2.

When we got to the third and final hill, the end was in sight.  I told her that all she had to do was get up this last hill and finish strong. I told her she could slow down but she could not stop.  I stayed by her side, offering encouragement, as she powered up the hill to the finish crossing in just over 40 minutes.  She was in tears, she had done the impossible.  I gave her a big hug and was overcome with pride.  This was an amazing accomplishment and I had the great honor of being there beside her when she pulled it off. 

What I haven't mentioned yet is that Beth had been told by a doctor that she could not run due to lower back issues.  That didn't stop her from doing my beginner's 5K program (she was actually the reason I did the program- her request prompted me to create the program) where over the past 8 weeks, we'd worked her up very gradually, from 1.5 miles to 5K.  On this particular Saturday, we went 4 miles and she crushed it!!

You earned it Beth! 

I've found, both in my own life and with the athletes I've coached, that most often the barriers to achieving awesome things are just stories in our heads- an internal monologue of self-doubt, fear of failure, and excuses- they're not real and they have very little, if any, basis in fact or reality.  Sometimes it starts with an external influence (a diagnosis, naysayers, etc.) but when we internalize it, it becomes our own voice, a voice we trust blindly, a voice we don't question.  It plays like a broken record in our minds, preventing us from taking a chance, stepping outside of our comfort zone, and finding our own greatness.

True story.

I have been guilty of this on numerous occasions myself.  I even blogged about my own struggles with this before (see The Big Box post). These stories are self-imposed limits. The things we tell ourselves, consciously and unconsciously, make us stop short and ultimately keep us from seeing and reaching our true potential.  So, what if we just changed our minds? What if we decided to start telling ourselves another story? What if we picked up a new script? Take Beth for example, what would happen if instead of the "I can't run" story or the "I'm not strong enough to..." story, she told herself the "I am a strong and powerful runner who eats hills for breakfast" story? I'll tell you what would happen, she would power through a very difficult 4-miler at an incredible pace.  She would recognize that the only barrier she ever really had was the story she was telling herself and that story was fiction.  The problem wasn't her body, it was her head.  She thanked me profusely but it was all her.  HER legs, HER back, HER will. The only thing I did was give her another story to tell herself. 

This is why I so willingly challenge my athletes with hills.  I know they hate it but hills expose runners for what they truly are.  Hills build character and tenacity.  They are just like any other life struggle, you'll discover more about yourself in the middle of them than at any other time.  Avoiding challenges is not a habit we should get into, in running or in life.

Are you a hill seeker?

Way to go Beth!!  I know you've set your sights on a 10K on April 27th and you can bet I'll be there to hug you when you crush that too.  

RACE REPORT: St. Patrick's Day Weekend Activities

As you saw in my previous post, I am injured and can't run so I had to scrap the half-marathon and 5K I had on my race calendar for this past weekend; instead, I did something I never get to do- I served as a one-woman runner support crew...twice...in the same weekend. (Runner friends: if you have never been a part of a race day support crew before, you need to do it immediately, it's so incredibly exciting and rewarding.) Eight runners from my beginner's 5K running program signed up for a couple of races over the St. Patrick's Day weekend.  I had planned to run with them before...well, you know.  These ladies had worked so hard over the past weeks in my training program and there was simply no way I was going to let any injury stop me from being there to support and hug them when they crossed that finish line.  So this post will include two race reports, neither of which I actually ran in...

Rock & Roll USA Race Report- My weekend began at 4:00AM on Saturday morning when I got up, readied myself and packed a bag full of race day essentials for my runners. I had three 5K runners and one half-marathoner (not a beginner but I'll get into Lauren later) to support and I planned to take the role of coach and race day support crew very seriously.  I even made a sign.

My very first race sign-making experience!

I helped my runners get focused in the corral, pinned on their race numbers, made sure they had water, held their belongings, and gave them each a pre-race hug to wish them good luck.  I found a place at the finish line and camped out with my camera where I waited with anticipation. When my first runner, Alissa, crossed the line, I teared up.  She came in so fast and strong.  It was a VERY emotional moment for me when I looked up and saw the clock as she crossed the finish line.  But then the next two, Emily and Dodi, came in with the same gusto only minutes behind Alissa.  I was absolutely overjoyed.  When I saw these ladies post-race, I hugged them so hard. I was so proud of what they'd done and how far they'd come.

 Not even two "bad" runs leading into race day and a calf cramp at the start could stop Dodi (on the left).

Baltimore Shamrock 5K- at 10:45AM on Sunday, this crew of four 5K runners and I met up and drove Baltimore.  I revised my sign from the day before to include this group of runners...

...even adding some St. Patty's Day flair.

I walked to the start with my runners, got some pre-race photos, hugged them all, wished them luck and walked back to the finish area to await their arrival.  I found a spot right at the finish line and before I knew it the first of my runners, Jessica, was cruising in WAY faster than anticipated- three minutes faster!! The race is 3.1 miles so, doing quick math in my head, she took almost an entire minute per mile off her goal time- totally incredible!! That made me get emotional again (I'm such a sap, I know). The rest of my runners, Lauren, Beth and Sasha, came in with amazing times too and each time one crossed that line, I felt a tremendous sense of pride in them and for them. Each one looked so strong at the finish, Beth was even throwing elbows on her way in- that's my girl :) I was totally blown away by this group, they made it look easy.

Too much pre-race hydration and free post-race beer plus horrible Baltimore parade/race traffic equals emergency bathroom stops at random hotels and hospital emergency rooms.  Adventures in Baltimore...but that's another story for another day.

It was a truly unique experience for me to have the opportunity to support so many awesome runners in one weekend. I expected to feel pretty bummed that I couldn't run these races with them but all I felt was overwhelming pride and joy. The memories made at these two races will be with me for years to come.  

   

So, back to Lauren (in the left picture above she is furthest to the right and in the right picture she is behind me with the green t-shirt).  Although she is not anywhere close to being a beginner (she was a pacer for the participants and served as my program support), she also had some accomplishments as well that I have to highlight and share.  This gal didn't just run (for the first time ever) back-to-back races, she ran a half marathon PR (by an astonishing 5 minutes) on Saturday and then a sub-30 minute 5K on Sunday! A truly awesome and inspiring athlete! I hope that she got a glimpse of just how tremendous her true potential is (I see it regularly during our 5:30AM workouts- it's undeniable). Congratulations, Lauren, on your amazing back-to-back finishes and thank you for your efforts which helped to make this 5K program a success!!

As I shared with my runners recently in a program wrap-up email, I am blown away by the progress they've made and the transformations that have occurred. It was only eight short weeks ago that this group began the process, many were convinced that they couldn't run 1.5 miles without stopping, and they smashed all expectations!  I couldn't be prouder of this group and I'm so incredibly grateful that they have allowed me to be a part of their journey. What an awesome honor to have been their coach.  

Setbacks and Life's Little Inconveniences

Four weeks off.  That's the prognosis I received last week from my orthopedist.  As a runner and an athlete, I know these days will come.  You can't push your body to the extent I push mine and expect that nothing will ever go wrong.  Fortunately, these times are very infrequent for me but when they come they tend to be HUGE.  Last time I sat in that chair, I was looking at a fractured hip and 8-12 months off of ALL activity.

Truthfully, I had expected worse news when I entered the orthopedist's office last Friday.  Two and a half weeks ago, in the middle of a Hurricane workout (don't ask) I was no longer able to put weight on my right leg.  My lower leg became extremely unstable and it felt like my shinbone was breaking.  The pain was eerily familiar and I knew in an instant that I had a stress fracture- there is simply no mistaking that feeling, once you've felt what a stress fracture feels like you never forget it.  A thousand thoughts ran through my head.  How am I supposed to coach the 20 runners in my beginner's 5k training program if I can't run?  How am I supposed to launch a running club in three weeks if I can't lead the weekly group runs? I have a bunch of races this Spring that I can't transfer out of.  And on and on and on.  There simply could not be a worse time to be injured.  I felt my 21 Promises slipping away.

I immediately set up an appointment with my orthopedist who promptly ordered an MRI and a week later I was back in his office to hear the news.  Dr. Hampton walked in, shook my hand and asked when my next race is.  March 15th, half-marathon...nope! Okay, next is March 16th, 5k...nope again! April 12th, 17.75k...eehh, probably not.  May 4th, 10-miler..DING DING DING!!! Diagnosis- severe bone bruising on my tibia. It's a stress-related injury from (over)use.  Before a bone cracks it "bruises" and becomes very weak. Apparently, my shinbone is so bruised that one more jump, one more mile, could (literally) be the straw that breaks my tibia. It means 4 weeks of no running, jumping or impact of any kind.  If there had been a stress fracture, I would be off for 6-8 weeks.  I had caught it just in time and saved myself 2-4 weeks.

Whew!!

What does it mean? It means I have to scrap four Spring races I'd planned to run, three of which I had already registered/paid for, one was my guaranteed ticket into the Marine Corps Marathon.  It means that I am going to have to fight extremely hard to come back from this injury and salvage the rest of my Spring race season. It means that it's going to be way more difficult to keep my 21 Promises. It means that I am going to lose a ton of ground and momentum so I will have to think very strategically.

Think. Think. Think.

In life, there will always be setbacks and inconveniences.  For every goal you have, there will be a hundred obstacles in your way.  There will be many moments where you'll have the wind knocked out of you.  If you let it, the universe will hand you a thousand excuses for why you couldn't reach your goals and you'll never run out of reasons for throwing in the towel.  But the object isn't to never get knocked down, it's to never stay down.  Bottom line, I made Promises and I intend to keep them. ALL OF THEM.

After the hip fracture 3 1/2 years ago, I promised that I would never take another run for granted because it could all be gone in an instant.  I vowed to come back stronger and faster and that's exactly what I did.  This time will be no different.  Accomplishing all 21 Promises was going to be challenging if everything went perfectly, now it will be borderline impossible.  Sure, I could curl up in a ball and scrap the list OR I could work my tail off doing what I have been cleared to do (bike, swim, weight train), maintain my fitness and allow the bone to heal so that, come April 1st, I am ready primed and ready.  In truth, I know it will be a very steep uphill battle but if I can pull it off, it will make for a really awesome blog post.

That's my motivation.

21 Promises

Happy to report that I have (finally) completed my list of goals for 2014.

That's certainly the plan but let's see if we can't "flesh it out" a bit.

However, this year instead of setting goals, I'm making promises (an idea I am "borrowing" from Coach Corey), 21 Promises in fact.  2013 was awesome and it would be easy for me to rest on my laurels following such a tremendous year but deep down I know I can do better.  So this year, I've decided to go all out, hold nothing back and pour my heart and soul into 2014 like it's my last year on Earth.  

Now I've never had a list this massive before and you'll soon see as you read on that these "21 Promises" are incredibly ambitious (whether bravely or foolishly so remains to be seen).  Once I finished the list, I immediately began to feel totally overwhelmed but I've committed to it and there's no turning back now.  My focus then shifted to game plan. 

It occurred to me that if I'm going to pull off such a monumental feat, I have to remain focused on the "why" for each Promise I made.  With a list this impressive if I lose sight of the "why" during the year, I won't get the job done and that's simply not an option.  So I went back through the list and wrote out the reason why every Promise made the list to serve as a constant reminder of the driving force behind each Promise.  There WILL be moments throughout the year when I'm tired, stressed, and inundated- this is unavoidable; however, the "why" is the mechanism that will keep moving me forward. The deeper the "why", the more likely I am to get it done (because, let's face it, "I want my clothes to fit better" or "I want to be in better shape" will only take me so far and will not get my tired/stressed/inundated butt out of bed with any regularity). 

Now, without further delay, I give you...

21 Promises

1. Complete a very challenging trail half-marathon. WHY: because I want to be as bad-ass off road as I am on the road.  The half-marathon is my “sweet spot” and it’s time to take it up a notch!

2. Run a 1:48 half-marathon. WHY: given my recent back-to-back marathon performance, I should be able to get 5 or 6 minutes of my personal best time for this distance…but that’s not awesome enough for me this year so instead I will take at least 7 minutes off of my time.  I see some serious speedwork in my future…

3. Complete 15 road/trail/obstacle races. WHY: two words- Race. Bling. 

4. Set personal records in 4 distances. WHY: last year, I set 3 PRs in 2 distances (marathon & half-marathon) but I can do better than that!  Plus, it gives me a chance to revisit a few distances that I’ve not raced recently (5k, 10k, 10 mile, etc.).

5. Research, select, and sign up for an ultra-marathon for 2015. WHY: because I’ve heard that 0.5% of the U.S. population has run a marathon but less than 0.1% have run an ultra-marathon and I want to belong to THAT club.  I figure, since I’m already out there for more than 26 miles at a shot, what’s a few more miles? The search begins for the perfect ultra for me to tackle in 2015.

6. Reach a body fat percentage of 17.5% . WHY: honestly, my coach suggested this one but I want to do it just to prove that I can because the definition I’ve developed in my arms lately is astonishing and now I want my legs to match.

7. Get fitness assessment score of 450 by June 1^st. WHY: last time I did a fitness assessment at my gym (August 2013), I scored a 426 out of a possible 500 (which totally blew my mind) but I’m convinced that I can get a 450 if I get REALLY serious about the push-ups and the 800-meter sprint.

8. Take 2 SUP classes & do 3 practice sessions. WHY: I started stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) last summer on the Potomac River and had an absolute blast.  It was both extremely relaxing and super fun.  I would love to get better at it and feel comfortable enough to go out on flat water without an instructor.

9. Complete 2 indoor rock climbing classes. WHY: because it’s been years since I went climbing and given the substantial increase in my upper body strength I know I would be MUCH better at it now.  Plus, what’s cooler than getting to the top of a seemingly insurmountable wall on your own strength?  (Added bonus: This will also help me with Number 12 below.)

10. Complete a sprint-distance triathlon. WHY: triathlons have come up often over the past few years as a possible “next challenge” for me- it’s time to knock this one out.  My excuses have been (a) I don’t own a bike and (b) I’m not a good swimmer. As I discussed in my December 21^st blog post, going forward rather than making silly B.S. excuses I am gonna make things happen.  Already signed up for one on June 1st.

11. Learn to swim (pool and open water). WHY: see Number 10 above.

12. 3 unassisted pull-ups (from a dead hang). WHY: because I got the chin-ups last summer and now it’s time to tackle their bigger, badder older brother…the pull-up. 

13. Improve lifting technique and increase weight by 25% for snatch, front squat, and overhead squat. WHY: I’ve developed a bit of a fascination with these advanced lifts during the “off-season” this winter and doing these lifts makes me feel super strong.  First, I need to go back to basics, perfect the technique, then ratchet up the weight. 

14. Launch goRun in the Spring and grow it to more than 50 members. WHY: I was asked recently whether I would be interested in starting a running club in my community by someone who was clever enough to know that I would not be able to say no to that question.  Long story short, I have been appointed Director of goRun.  I figured this endeavor would be a massive undertaking but I was not prepared for exactly how massive- MANY hours have gone into the planning and implementation of this club which will launch in March/April.  Based on the level of interest and feedback I’ve received during the initial planning phases, I would like to see membership hit upwards of 50 by the end of 2014.  It’s going to be a challenge but I believe that my passion for the sport will keep goRun moving in the right direction.

15. 20 blog posts. WHY: since the point of my blog is to highlight awesome people and experiences, in order to have 20 or more blog posts, logically I’d have to meet enough awesome people and/or have enough awesome experiences to warrant 20 blog posts.  That, in and of itself, would be PRETTY FREAKING AWESOME!

16. Be nicer to Alison. WHY: see my December 14^th blog post.  She’s a pretty cool gal who deserves my admiration and respect.

17. No more soda. WHY: time to stop putting this crap into my body.  Last year, I substantially reduced my soda intake.  This year, I plan to eliminate it completely. 

18. Go to an amusement park. WHY: sad to say that I haven’t done this in years and I’d love to spend a day feeling like a kid again.

19. Get a coaching or fitness certification. WHY: see Number 14 above.  I will be leading a group of runners all over my community and I owe it to them to deliver the best possible leader, motivator, and coach. 

20. Read 6 books. WHY: my day job as a Contracts Administrator requires me to read A LOT (mostly about indemnities, liability, waivers, termination clauses…I know, scintillating) and I’ve gotten away from reading for pleasure even though I still really want to do it.  My coach has made a few suggestions and I have some books that I’ve been meaning to put on my reading list as well.  

21. Inspire someone else to do something awesome. WHY: in light of the events of the past year, I know how it feels to totally surprise myself, smash some perceived limitations, and recognize that there is more strength in me than I ever thought possible.  This year, I want to pass it on.  I promise to move someone else to action this year so that he or she can experience this feeling too.  It’s really easy to get beat down and lose sight of our own awesomeness when the stresses of life, work, family, money, etc. weigh us down.  But I don’t believe that we are here to “just get by” from day to day, so busy making a living that we forget to make a life and never really challenging ourselves.  I want to inspire another person to find or re-discover their own inner superhero because everyone deserves to see how truly awesome they are.  

Time to rock this list out!!

The BIG Box

During a conversation about short-term goals in early December, I shared with my friend/coach, Corey, that I wanted to get onto the BIG box in the next 30 days.  To clarify, I meant that I wanted to graduate to doing box jumps on the 30-inch box.  If you are not familiar, a box jump is an fairly frightening exercise where you stand in front of a tall box and in one swift, explosive movement try to jump high enough to propel yourself onto the top without destroying your shins and knees or face planting on the other side.  This is the BIG box...

oooooo...scary!

For almost a year, I had been doing box jumps on the 24-inch box and while the extra 6 inches doesn't seem like much, the difference is vast when you're (don't laugh) 5'2" tall.  

True story.

Needless to say, I've never been much of a jumper (shocker) and the thought of missing that jump by just a fraction of an inch, sending me crashing into the box (and the resulting damage to my shins) was downright paralyzing.  No matter how pumped up I got about landing that jump, when I stood in front of that BIG box, my legs flat out ignored the signals my brain was sending telling them to jump.  And for the longest time, I was okay with that- I mean, jumping is not really my thing and if I screwed it up I could get hurt pretty badly.  I was content to say that I can't do a 30-inch box jump...but no more.  Even though it scared the crap out of me, I was ready to commit to making it happen and to be sure that I took that commitment seriously, I was going to give myself 30 days to get it done.

So Corey developed a plan that was intended to make me feel strong enough to- as he put it- "jump over the box".  If I didn't have so much faith in his skills (the man is a genius) I would have been more skeptical but I couldn't help but wonder how he was going to come up with a workout that would rid me of crippling fear?  How can you turn a scared, vertically-challenged non-jumper into a box jumping beast?  On December 12th, he unveiled a laundry list of exercises (I'm using the term "exercise" here very loosely) of varying degrees of complexity and with that "Project BIG Box" was launched.  Since then, my jumping parts have hated me.

Almost, every day I worked on that jump. I worked and I worked, repeating the same exercises over and over.  The more I did it, the more I began to understand that this wasn't about building leg strength and power; the true purpose of this process was to develop the confidence to know that I was already strong enough to make that leap.  I had to learn to get out of my own way.  Then this morning, a mere nine days after I started, I jumped onto the BIG box.  Apparently, I CAN do a 30-inch box jump, with ease as it turns out- I just sort of floated to the top, piece of cake. 

But this is not really about the BIG box.  The BIG box is a metaphor.  I've heard it a hundred times: "I'm not a...", "I can't...", "I don't..."  I too have been guilty of this, over the years spouting off such things as: "I'm not a runner", "I can't swim", "I'm not built to jump high", "I'm not a sprinter"...all B.S.


What's the REAL barrier?  As I found out, it's usually not ability- we're capable of so much more than we know.  For me, most often, it's plain old fear of failure.  I let that fear drive the bus sometimes, deciding that inaction is better than trying and failing.  It's easier for me to say that "I'm not built to jump high" or "I can't swim" than it is to put the work into making things happen, especially knowing that in the end despite all my efforts I may not succeed.  What I'm learning is that when I avoid situations because I'm afraid to fail, I settle back in, staying where I am, doing what I’ve always done.  But while “where I am” may be just fine for now, it’s not where I ultimately want to be.  

Another true story.

Fear may stop you from getting hurt, help you avoid uncomfortable situations, and keep you from screwing up, but it may also keep you from being the person you want to be and seeing what you are truly capable of.  I look back now and think how different my life would be if I had continued to buy into my own B.S.  There's so much I would have missed.  Turns out, I AM a runner, I CAN jump high, and I AM a sprinter (the jury's still out on the swimming- but I'm working on it in 2014 so stay tuned).  If you open your eyes to other possibilities, you may just find (as I did) a whole lotta awesome stuff along the way. 

2014 Personal Goals (and one shocking admission)

Goal setting for 2014 is proceeding nicely. Admittedly, this does not come naturally to me and it takes me a while to get the process started meaning that I really have to rack my brain for weeks before I nail down measurable and realistic goals.  Race time goals are the easiest to get onto paper so those are usually the first ones to roll out. It's interesting though that this year there are more non-running goals on the list than running goals but I was inspired after achieving my chin-up challenge target over this past summer.  Here's what I have:

1. Learn to swim "for real" (pool and open water)

2. Improve my stand up paddleboarding skills

3. Revisit rock climbing

4. Complete 15 road, trail, and/or obstacle races

5. Run one 1:50 Half Marathon

6. GoPerformance Assessment Score of 450 or above

7. Cut myself some slack & stop being so hard on poor little Alison

Number 7 is going to be the biggest challenge for me.  I would even go so far as to say that the other goals will be a walk in the park compared to Number 7. I'm going to let you in on a little secret (shhhh)...on the outside I hold myself out to be an independent, accomplished, and self-confident woman but on the inside I am constantly tearing myself to shreds.  

No exaggeration, I give myself grief every waking hour of every day.  I've struggled with poor body image and destructive internal dialogue for as long as I can remember. I have a hard time admitting it and I hide it very well (at least I think I hide it well) but no one in the world could ever be more critical of me than me. I could stand in front of a mirror for days and point out every flaw I see and everything I want to change but if you were to pose the question of what I like about myself, I promise you I would draw a blank. 

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I feel that I don't have value (I would never be cool with anyone else saying these things about me), but I am always so focused on the things I cannot do that I am totally blind to what I have accomplished and can't see the good in me.  I truly am my own worst enemy.

Now, I have gotten better about this over the years but I really need to cut it out effective immediately. I would never let anyone treat me or my friends/family the way I treat myself and that is no longer okay. 

It's time to evict the gremlin, finally make peace with myself in 2014 and (hopefully) accomplish a few other awesome things along the way.

Time to chase the turkey...

My baby sister, Elisabeth, and I have a tradition of turkey trotting on Thanksgiving Day.  She uses turkey and fixins as motivation, like dangling a carrot, and for me the goal is preemptive damage control to make up for my total lack of self-control...my name is Alison and I have a pie "problem".  Typically, we do a 5k but this year she decided to step it up a notch and shoot for her first 10k on Thanksgiving Day. Ambitious, but we share the same DNA so I was not at all surprised.  What DID surprise me was that she was not at all deterred by this weather report...

Brrrrrr!

I am a fairly experienced cold-weather runner and I have to admit that I REALLY was not looking forward to what "feels like 20 degrees" feels like.  The plan was to meet up with the Bard family. What a great crew, they made us feel right at home.  Simon showed us what he got for Hanukkah the night before and told us all about the family hierarchy (Grandma's the "number one boss" because she's a day older than Grandpa).  We suited up and readied ourselves to brave the cold together.

Good looking group of runners.

It was such an incredible honor to meet this young lady, Addie. 

Look at that smile.

This was Addie's first 10k as well, she is 12 years old.  Yes, you read that right, 12 years old.  I was blown away by her guts and determination.  This is one special gal, expect awesome things to come from her.

My sister finished strong in a very respectable 1 hour and 4 minutes.  Addie and her dad, Larry, were not far behind. It's always such a pleasure to be with a runner the first time they complete a new distance.  There is a moment when you can see in their eyes that their mind has changed and they realize that there are endless possibilities. Something inside ignites...it's pure magic. 

Days like this make me feel incredibly grateful for everything that running has brought to my life.  I have seen the most amazing things and met the most amazing people, sharing moments that have changed their lives.  There is a bond that develops when we lace up our shoes and come together to run the streets.  There are no strangers among runners and today was no different.  I got to see two young talented runners hit a major milestone, spent the morning with the most wonderful family, and when I got home there was pie...

Happy Thanksgiving.