Tough call, but still a winning decision

As you know, the Detroit Women's Half Marathon was my first Half Marathon in 2013.  I rocked that one.  I felt so good.  I remember telling my husband right after that I felt I could go do it all again.  Last year...not so much.  Illness preventing adequate training led to a race where I didn't feel I could give it my all, and suffered dehydration, muscle spasm...and diarrhea (EW!) from being ill-prepared.

I registered early for this year's, with a solid 18-week training plan and confidence to get through it.  Not much really got in the way of training, except for a few periods of no motivation, episodic depression, and the big barrier: stupid mobility issues.  If I tried to power through it, it just made recovery worse ie., muscle spasms, increased mobility issue, fatigue, electrolyte imbalance, fatigue, and...did I mention fatigue? Slept.  A LOT.

My sister, and virtual training partner, had a solid goal to run for the first time the whole 5K.  She had her own training issues this year, but it still ready to go out and give that course whatever she can.  After prayer and a lot of reflection, I decided to transfer my registration from the Half to the 5K today.  I have major reservations because I still wonder if I have 13.1 miles in me.  I wanted to experience the 2nd anniversary of this race WITH them, as it's their 3rd Half as well.  Kind of like growing with that race, you know?  BUT, I want to be able to be there for next year's.  I want to be able to run the Detroit Freepress International Half I have planned in 5 weeks.  I want to be able to keep in this sport, in some capacity, for as long as I can.  So I had to make the smart decision and adjust it to my current physical level.

I'm actually MORE excited now, though, because I'm running it with my sister.  I think being together is going to be great for both of us, and I'm looking forward to it inspiring us to keep at this.  Plus, we're doing more than our sister who's 8-months pregnant and just watching us... ;)  j/k, KK.

I'm hoping we can use this race as a baseline together and try to improve for another 5K we want to run together on October 4.  TOTALLY within our reach!!

I had ALL day today at home, alone, as my daughter was in school.  I planned last night I'll get in a nice long run effort today.  How far did I make it, you wonder? Not even off the couch.  I slept nearly all day and applied for jobs the other small part of it that I was awake.  See why I had to transfer registrations?  *smirk*

Seriously, if you're in the market for a completely amazing, women empowering, fun, beautiful 5K or Half Marathon this Sunday, get in on the action with the Detroit Women's Half Marathon and 5K.  They offer a crazy cool Expo at Cobo Center on Saturday, a fantastic pasta dinner at Andiamo's, a pajama party complete with yoga, stretching, and tea, and a FEAST at the completion of both races.  Try it once and you'll be back next year, I promise!

Labor Day Weekend Love

I realize I've been purposefully avoiding my writing.  In the past, I've gotten too busy, depressed, or otherwise didn't have access.  This time, just avoiding it.  It probably boils down to the same ol' issue of being a little embarrassed I haven't been accomplishing all I had set out to do this summer.  I've had snippets of very fun times though, for sure.  I keep reminding myself to acknowledge them and give them the credit they deserve.  The proverbial dark cloud has unfortunately been flare-ups hindering my mobility, balance, and creating a foggy mindset.  Despite those, I got to experience these:

Annual Girls' Camp.  We went to Manistee and camped, surviving near-tornado conditions! I grew up going there every summer to my dad and then step-mother's summer house, so the trip was ripe with nostalgia.  We spent one full day at the beach and it was WONDERFUL.  We went to a winery.  We laughed.  We drank.  We had a GREAT TIME.

Lovely Lake Michigan

Batten down the hatches!

Live music in the vineyard

Bike Walk Drink pub crawl in St. Clair Shores.  It was so fun! Beautiful weather, fun friends, biking, and of course...responsible consumption of libations.

Another visit to Wine Country when Vi and I went up north to visit with the family right before school started.  It's hard not to have fun there! 

I actually found this out on a run!  What a sweet reward!

I certainly had a lot of other things mingled in.  But last, but not least, was a fantastic Labor Day Weekend where we continued out family tradition of walking the Mighty Mac.  Vi actually made the majority of it on her own this time, and my niece joined us for her first time and loved every step of it!

View from our campsite

 

I am so, so absolutely incredibly blessed with whom I am surrounded at this point in my life.  I have the definition of an unconditional loving, supportive husband, sweetest and funniest daughter, family, and lifelong friends who show me all the time how much I mean to them and the importance of our friendship.  It all helps me power through the other nonsense.  I urge anyone and everyone to consider these things that really matter most when the other crap threatens to get in the way.  Always easier said than done, but always the right thing to do.

This is making me so excited for what's to come this fall! ...and maybe even to write about it.  :)