Couch to ATHLETE!

Recently my good friend and running buddy Sue started cycling. Two weeks ago we went for our first bike ride together which was 10 miles, the following week we did 20, so naturally it made sense to ride 61 miles this week? Or something like that... It is no secret that I have been having a hard time with running lately, so I have really needed a confidence boost. Sue and I met this morning and were going to check out a portion of a trail in the Miami Valley. The real reason I wanted to go down there was for ice cream at the end of the ride at Young's Ice Cream . We started this ride and I was thinking we were shooting for 30 miles, since that is what we had previously discussed, so was extremely surprised when Sue said she was willing to go for 40 miles. Well, if you know me, twisting my arm to go a few extra miles on the bike is not hard. So, 40 is what we settled on. At about mile 20 we were both starving so we asked some local riders where the closest food was. They told us...

One of the most beautiful things about life is that we get to choose what is important to us. Some of my friends have heard me talk about the difference between family (those who are not chosen) and friends (those who are chosen). I am fortunate to have the most amazing family that I would choose any day. I mean, how can you not appreciate a mother who serves her community selflessly every day, or a dad who would take in a stranger from the street to make sure they have a safe place to sleep? Not to mention my siblings who also give selflessly and are unwaveringly there for me when they are needed. I'm lucky that they were given to me, but as I said before, I would choose them any day.  On the other hand, I have these friends who choose me and I choose as well. Sometimes I wonder why they choose me since I like to share my opinions, I am stubborn, I am ornery, I am self absorbed at times, I am dramatic and on and on!!! But they do... Even better is that I have some friends wh...

One of my friends told me that she was having a conversation with another friend of ours, about me. She told me that they both are just waiting for me to announce that I am going to do a full Iron Man!!! I laughed because, at this time, I have absolutely NO interest in ever putting my body through that type of event. For now, I am happy to be able to say I have done a marathon (with plans to do a few more) and a half iron man (with plans to do at least one more). This is all amusing to me especially since I was found saying to one of my friends while running a 4 mile race, that I am done! I have no interest in running a half marathon this fall AT ALL!!! She told me that it was OK, I didn't have to do the half this fall. I think she also asked me what my plan was, to which I replied, I'm going to go home and register (of course)! Then, on Saturday, as I was having the most enjoyable day bumming around with a couple of my friends, I heard myself telling them, and others, tha...