Tag: challenges

celebrations, dare to be different

31 Days: The 2025 Edition

2chicksandapen

Oh the beautiful life we are given and the blank slate we have to write our story as we live each day. For this reason and many more I am continuing my tradition of my list of 31. The list that summarizes a glimpse of my month or 31 days each year. It’s fun to see what makes the list, but it’s just as fun to review the lists of years past.

It’s a great way for me to see that I am constantly evolving and also for others to take a peek and see if they are stuck in a way or maybe want to feel enlightened to try x, y or z. I’m always moving forward but I’m always looking back to remember how far I’ve come. 

1-I put a property under contract.

2-I closed on said property.

3-I planned a relocation.

4-i planned a trip.

5-I booked a massage.

6-I ate brunch with friends.

7-I made some new friends.

8-I read a new book.

9-I did some writing.

10-I did some strategic planning.

11-I made some donations.

12-I had many hard conversations.

13-I dealt with plenty of adversity personally and professionally.

14-I played tennis in the frigid cold.

15-I was a Good Samaritan in an ice storm.

16-I played in snow not once but twice.

17-I spent time with my mom being silly.

18-I spoiled my dogs.

19-I got a BIG ASS calendar for 2025.

20-I spent a lot of money.

21-I watched Trump take his presidency.

22-I went to North Carolina.

23-I was assigned Lori as my tennis alter ego.

24-I dealt with a leaky windshield for the first time ever in a car.

25-I sold two motorcycles.

26-I ate some good home cooked meals.

27-I initiated several new projects.

28-I learned how to connect a stove to a smart house.

29-I worked hard to bring home the bacon.

30-I played equally hard outside the workplace.

31- I started the countdown to retire.

This year I didn’t really elaborate on any of the 31 items. Not really sure why I kept it simple, but I just did. When I reflect on my state of mind this month I’m summing it up as happy. 

I’m a at peace with so many things in life. I’m finally settled into the role of empty nester. It has been a process to get fully untethered, but it was worth the wait I suppose.

The blue skies.

The less travelled road.

The quiet car rides to new destinations.

The allure of chasing the new in life.

The freeing feeling of letting go of things.

The warmth of a good cup of coffee and

the ambiance that it’s entangled with.

Just a few notes for me to recall down the road. Nothing fancy, but a blissful state of mind. Off I go into the sunset somewhere day dreaming of what’s near but also what’s far. Just a day in my life to share.

#TinkRuns2024, dare to be different

The Sad Farewell

2chicksandapen

This is probably not the grief post you think about, but I am grieving a loss. This particular loss stems back to my marathon experience. It’s a loss some forecast, yet I was in disbelief. I complained about my enormous blister post-race and thought that was bad but it was only a short-term discomfort. The loss of a toenail is much more of a grueling process of lingering symptoms and moments of hope for life. Much like a loved one in hospice. I know that’s a terrible comparison yet it seems to fit.

For many distance runners, losing a toe nail is no big deal. It’s almost expected. I was warned but hopeful I was not a going to be a victim. Well fate had other plans for me. I  unfortunately lost a toenail. My big toenail on my right foot has found its final resting place in my bathroom trash can! It’s been a process of suffering leading up to the loss. Now I am actually grieving!

Apparently the race caused my toe some trauma. I have evidence of bruising on my left toes but nothing like the right foot. It was almost instantly I knew I had an issue. I am pretty sure I made the mistake of having a gel pedicure prior to the race as my nail had the extra weight of the gel mixed with friction and moisture for an extended period of time. Not good and I don’t recommended gel toes for race day!

First I had to remove the gel to let the air heal my toe. This was fun pedicure #1. Oh how this process took time. Almost 3 months later, I was still looking at a blue, yellow, green and black ugly toe. Every day. It was such a struggle to greet myself each morning with such disfigurement. Yet life goes on. Tennis matches. Heels for work. Exercising. All movements that irritated the healing process in one way or another.

Fast forward to the soaking day in the bath tub, some three months later. The nail decided it had enough. It almost floated away in silence. It was bitter sweet, but also such a sad moment. Naked and afraid my toe was. This new stage was undiscovered. New growth was slowly beginning life at the base of the toe nail bed but brushing was still midway on the naked toe itself.

I’m sparing you the photos but hopefully the picture has been painted in your mind. I have always had neat and well manicured feet. Now not so much. In the near future I will struggle as well. My trip to the beach next week will sit a little different. The toes in the sand just won’t get their normal photo opportunity.

Life is messy. We must all listen to how the universe whispers to us. Today I reflect on my toe. The loss itself. The journey while my fate was lingering by a hair. The experience that was amazing but yet caused this unexpected passing. The second chance with new growth. The disfigurement. All of this mourning over a toenail!

The moral of this story is life goes on for some but not for others. We must make the most of what opportunities we have while we can. My toenail had no idea that its fate was doomed. The disfigurement is a pivot point of doom or gloom. We all choose our paths in life. Happy or sad. Near or far. It’s all our choice.

Today I chose to run forward with vim and vigor. Because I can. I might not be in my prettiest stage of life, but I’m still living it as if I was!

50 States Half Marathon, adventure, fitness and nutrition

Halloween Half Marathon

2chicksandapen

I wrote a post a while back about my cross-country adventure to Disneyland. I loved exploring those parks and wish I had a few more days there. But, it was time to run my September race, the inaugural Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon.

Unlike several of my friends, I am not really a Halloween person. I did this race because it fit my schedule, I would get a special “Coast to Coast” medal for completing long races at each U.S. Disney in the same calendar year, and because it seemed like fun.

I learned that Disneyland races are different than the Disney World races in Florida for many reasons. The main ones draw from the fact that Disneyland is SO much smaller. In Disney World, you can run a whole marathon and never leave Disney property. For Disneyland, the Half Marathon was more off-property than on.

The walk to the start line was a breeze. No fireworks at the start though, since we were outside of park property and Anaheim has a noise ordinance. It didn’t take us long to run through both Disneyland and California Adventure. I LOVED being able to run through the little (comparatively speaking) castle. They had a lot more “at a distance” photo opportunities with characters, which was fine since Disney is more aggressive with pulling people off the course if they don’t keep pace. I knew I wouldn’t get my challenge medal if I didn’t finish, so I was not going to get swept.

I did stop at a character or two and many of the other photo opps along the way. Inside the parks it is fun and scenic.

Once we hit mile 5, we were outside the parks and it was all Anaheim roads. This mostly felt like other large races, just with lots of runners in costumes. Some fans came out to support and held signs. Local groups helped at water stops. A fun highlight was running through the Angels stadium and having our names announced over the PA system.

One memorable thing was this race happened to be during an exceptionally awful heat wave. We were warned repeatedly about hydration, electrolytes, and so on. This can be hard to do when you’re in the parks! The days leading up were filled with speculation of whether or not the race would be canceled or shortened due to heat. It was a long way to go for that to happen, so I was glad to finish all the miles and finish safely. I will say I was unbelievably hot by the time I crossed the finish and did not stop for the after party. I got my medals and slowly walked all the way back to the hotel and laid in the air conditioning before taking a cold shower and flying home. The race went under black flag conditions shortly after I finished. It was rough. But, I finished safely and managed to make it to the airport and back home.

This was a long trip for a weekend. I would probably do a Disneyland race again but only if it fell on a school break!

#TinkRuns2024

My Recovery from 26.2

2chicksandapen

Well my recovery started at the finish line when I chugged my chocolate milk. Gone in two seconds!

Then there was walk to the car. The pitiful everything is tight stroll. The shower where you find out all the chafing spots that sting or burn like crazy. These effects will undoubtedly linger for days in the annoying spots you didn’t think to protect.

Then time to eat like a pig. Real food. Real fast. More food. Just a short time later. Hydrate. Relax. Savor the memories. Check the photo reel to relive the experience. So therapeutic. A little massaging or rolling of sore spots. 

Tylenol and Advil. A little more chocolate milk. Light stretching. Then the 4/5 hour car ride home. Not ideal to sit but I did get out midway to stretch and used a small roller ball on my legs while I drove.

I did acquire a massive blister on the ball of my right foot and a small blister under my right toe which may or may not make me sacrifice a nail. Time will tell. The blister on the bottom of the foot is a nuisance but should be out of the way before you know it.

Sleep. Solid sleep overnight. Monday had arrived. A recovery night sleep in my own bed has very much helped my recovery overall. Moving pretty well today. Just nourishing and babying my body the next few days. A little shake out ride on the bike erg to keep the body moving today but to keep me off my feet. A little light bench press to engage the upper body. Compression leg sleeves time each day as well to help with inflammation and circulation.

Solid sleep rolling to Tuesday. Making sure I eat and or drink a good amount of protein today to help with recovery. More stretching. Wednesday has arrived. Back to tennis on the courts. Legs are feeling pretty good. Foot is maybe 85% recovered from blistering. Life goes on post marathon.

I rotated rest and light workouts every other day for the first week after the marathon. I focused on sleep and nutrition including protein and veggies. All worked out and I’d say I’ve been more sore from a CrossFit workout than a marathon.

Thanks for following along on my race journey. I hope a tidbit I shared may help you in your first marathon quest especially if you try it after age 50. Patience. Grace. Determination. That’s really all it takes to live through a marathon.

Recovery my way consisted of rest, relaxation, reflection and smart eating choices. I kept it simple. I resumed my normal routine the following week. My blister even healed!

The end of the marathon series. Now on to a new challenge for the mind, body and spirit.

#TinkRuns2024, hustle, inspire

Feeling 26.2

2chicksandapen

The alarm came very early. 4:30am to be exact. An early breakfast. Salmon with rice and a banana. Then off to fun parking by 6:00 am.  Parking lot to start line was about a half mile walk. Even got to visit the pink porta-potty along the way. The day was already an adventure and I didn’t even have coffee nor did the sun rise yet.

The start was full of nerves, positivity and lots of glitter. People watching was so fun. Also traded glitter for bracelets with a fun lady at the start line. Off we went just after 7am. Six girls. 6 different paces. 6 different strategies to complete the marathon. Ages 35-52, and I was the token old chick. I was planning to be last as the oldest but fate had me finish in the the #4 spot for us girls.  I was so content with last but it’s ok I’m not sad about 4th.

The first bridge was awesome! Not the climb but the four women revving their motorcycles and giving high fives to start the race off with a little engine rev. It was so bad ass and the smell of gas fumes was prominently floating in the air. So unexpected but cool.

The next several miles I just jammed to some music and muddled through the miles. There might have even been the scent of weed in some of the parks we shuffled through. I barely looked at my phone during this time so I could conserve battery life. I did take in the scenery. I talked to many people. I cheered on some folks. I watched a few runners with disabilities maneuver the course with their guides. Another cool thing to take in. I was just in awe as a kept on trucking.

We ran through parks. We ran on a college campus and its track. We ran the city streets with cobblestone. We had a drum line play for us. Even got tunes from a Louisiana-style music group. We had acrobats doing a show on the course. I got water from a princess. I swapped high fives with strangers on the down-and-back portion of the course. Just so many amazing memories before the half way point. I almost forgot I was mid-race.

Mile 14.9 I met my friends for pit stop. The roadie crew had a wagon full of items for each runner to replenish. This is where I got my caffeine zap from an Alani drink and a spray down of bio freeze on my calves and butt. It was a recharge station for sure. Conveniently located at the Savannah Bananas stadium so we even had cheerleaders in baseball gear chick was so fun. The nana bananas!

Forrest Gump was on scene to say run, run, run. So many people outside their houses cheering and giving snacks. My favorite was a sweet guy with a bucket of Starbursts for back of the course sugar boost. So thoughtful. I even had a Girl Scout cookie from the sweetest troop of cheerleaders. I almost forgot I ran on the highway. Seemed like it took forever and the pavement was gross. All the little pebbles got in your shoes and it was direct sun beating down on you for what seemed like forever. A first and only time but definitely one to remember.

The highway leg was the scenery for the hardest part of the marathon like miles 18-21 when many participants hit a wall. Funny thing was I felt good. I decided to make that my spirit time. I cheered on those puking over the guard rail. Those taking a break that need that verbal motivation to go another step. It seemed like my purpose work and it definitely made the yucky miles tolerable. I might have slowed my pace some but at this point I knew I was finishing so why not help others feel that same joy.

I came out of this highway from hell experience feeling pretty good about being a few miles from finishing. I went through a water sprinkler to cool off. I saw an enormous pet pig on a leash. Yes, that’s for real. I heard a teen jamming to girls run this world on her DJ table in her front hard while her dad was on the lawn chair cheering. It was awesome to see. I felt like the perfect jam as I ran by. At this point the earlier finishers are walking past you as they return to their cars or homes. The encouragement was so uplifting.

Then the whispers from the sidelines. The guys along the way that almost whisper in your ear. You’re doing something special keep going. You are amazing and strong. Believe in yourself. Think about what you are doing. Many can’t. Celebrate this moment. So many comments like this.

Then the funny signs. The girl with the “I heard it’s long and hard”.:…and her boyfriend’s complementary sign of what she said. Punny! And then there was the “Trump is a rapist” sign. Odd placement but I guess it had an audience. The protestors with signs saying the race sponsor (Milk) was exploiting cows and women! I really enjoyed the funny and motivational ones like “be the runner your dogs believe you are.”

Last water stop. A little time with some pals I ended up meeting at the end of their race. For me it was a solo finish. I pushed on ahead to cross the line alone. A rite of passage so to speak: my race: my pace. My story: my journey. One hundred percent me. I won the day. I’m giving you a glimpse in this recap.

I beat the physical odds.

I overcame mental odds.

I ran tired.

I ran thirsty.

I ran with the biggest blister on the ball of my foot for about three miles. That counts for pain and an awkward gait which just throws off your mojo. I just kept moving. Crossing that finish line was rewarding. A celebration of so much experience. My Rocky triumph shadow photo with .2 miles to go. I still have gas in my tank. Surprise, surprise.

I am now in the 1% club. I completed a marathon. A grueling 26.2 miles on various road textures. Many will never try. Some may try and fail. Others may sign up and never show up. It’s a thing. I heard 1500 didn’t show today. Just crazy to think about.

Going to bed.

Exhausted.

Fulfilled.

Triumphant.

Proud.

I was meant to do this race. 

I was called to tell the world about it.

Wonder what’s next on my bucket list?