I Hate Jigs #TurkeyTrot2k15

I hate Jigs. Like I maybe liked her at one point in my life, but now? This point? Nope. #choices

Running is one of the most amazing, torturous experiences that have embarked on. Challenging in the best ways. And the perfect yin to my sweet potato pie binging yang. I have learned so much about myself and my will to achieve in these few years.

Like, the fact that: I. Hate. Running. In. The. Cold.

Which leads us back to my first statement. I hate Jigs. See, why did she have to be so wonderful and so lovely, and so good to me, and have a birthday, and get me all excited about running the Turkey Trot (again), and seeing her cross the finish line again. It’s all her fault!

Like why in the world would the sky gods allow the temperature stick to get below 40°? That is not the proper weather to be in a mood to give thanks. Like what am I thankful for below 40°? The warmth I have yet to lose?

Running in the cold is stupid. Happy Birthday Jigs.

START: I’m pretty sure I am in the wrong corral. Not on purpose like Vegas. Definitely on accident like I’m not moving away from the start line just to find the right corral. Nope. #MoreChoices

Mile 1: Take me away in a manger it is cold out here. Who turned off Nana’s heater to the Bay Area? Hace frio homey! Hace. Frio.

Mile 2: I don’t want to do this. I really don’t.

Mile 3: I have 3.2 miles left. I wonder how I would have figured that out using Common Core Math?

Mile 4: I always regret not taking the turn off for the shorter distance race at this point. What is the mile point exactly? *looks over at the Nike run app on the arm of the lady next to me* Eh. 4.7? I’m a quitter at 4.7miles – who knew?

Mile 5: I’m can’t believe I have been running this long and my body hasn’t warmed up. Like in my core, it’s like Elsa shot me with an ice dart or something. I want to build a snowman.

Mile 6: Those people look like they’ve finished. Naw, they were probably just out here supporting a friend or something. They don’t have medals around their necks. Like, why would they leave a race (like my sister) without their medals?

Mile 6(0.2): Oh my God. Are there no medals?!?!?!! I did not just go through that for NO. FREAKIN. MEDAL!!! Oh Hell Naw!!!!

FINISH: This is the worst race ever. I really hate Jigs.

And even though I knew, I traversed the Finish Line Festival feverishly looking for a medal. Because, who would spend their Thanksgiving morning NOT eating everything, out here running, and return home with nothing. It was like my very own grail quest…but there no clues, no signs, not markers that I was almost there. Nothing.

I mean, last year I left here with a medal. I was the talk of Thanksgiving Dinner! And by talk of Thanksgiving Dinner, everyone talked about how crazy I was to go running at the dinner table. Like I said…the talk of Thanksgiving! How can I have that kind of greatness without a medal Lord God??

I wandered aimlessly. So disappointed. I tried! I legit tried to do well at this race even with the cold! It was like a #LasVegasRedeption. I mean, the #ColdRainyWind without the #RainyWind. I can be great now! Well, greater than I was in Nevada at least. But no. I work all hard. Run all fast (read: not quite slow, but…). All for what?!?!! #NoMedal

Look, it’s like this. It’s not that every race I run HAS to have a medal. It’s just that, if I get out there and run, I’m expecting one, so, even if I’m the only person you give a medal to, that’s what you should probably do. My sense of accomplishment and validation that I am someone special is directly correlated with the shine of the bling about neck. And I have none. *wow…my future husband has his hands full…I am kind of a mess…welp*

…and since I’ve said nicer things about bad hair cuts, high gas prices, and shoes that give you bunions, I’ll just end with that.

Stupid Turkey Trot. #iHateJigs

#15ThingsIn2015 Challenge

5 new states (Louisiana, Texas – 2 down, 3 to go) #iShouldWorkOnThisOne #2MonthsLeft

4 new friends (OldieButNewbie #RunningHubby; My Child; WickedWineRunCrew (6 people!); Ragnar Napa Valley (10 people!); Cuzzo; NotQuiteTwinSister & BruinBuddy – 22 down)

3 new running events (Shamrock Half; St Charles Road Race; Orange County Half; Wicked Wine Run; Ragnar Napa Valley; Let’s Go 510…5k; Monster Dash 5k – 7 down)

2 back-to-back running events (Rock N Roll San Jose 5K & Half; Ragnar Napa Valley & Let’s Go 510…5K, Rock N Roll Las Vegas 5K & Half, 3 down)

1 Half Marathon PR (Rock N Roll San Diego Half! 6 minutes!, Rock N Roll Las Vegas 5K – 35 seconds to spare! – 2 down!)

1 Run A Race Without A Medal Because I Guess That’s A Thing Now -_- (SJ Turkey Trot 2015, 1 down)

DubsWin, so WeRun #LetsGo510

See, when you’re me, you’ve got to have a sense of humor about this running stuff. Because, well, you sometimes plan running events in the same weekend. Which isn’t abnormal, per say #Such&Thus. I mean, a couple of remix challenges, running this event last year the day before Rock n Roll Los Angeles. The idea of this isn’t new. It’s actually part of your #15in2015. Right? You out here running #Back2Back #twice like Drizzy. Like nobody who knows you is surprised by your behavior at all.  

What’s different? You actually didn’t intend for it to work out this way. You actually thought that this event was on a different weekend. And you were excited about the fact that you’d get to run consecutive weekends.

You need a personal assistant. You need your google calendar to assume human form. And follow you around.

But I gotta do it. It’s #RunningHubby’s last event of the challenge. He’s taken down an #8k on a bum toe, a #12k with you nowhere in sight of the finish as he crossed, and now this #10k. You gotta be there for it. All of the distances. All of the finishes. All of the medals. All of the challenges.

Just not there in the doing the #10K sense of being there. Because you’re a Ragnarian now. And, well, you’ve been sleeping in a SUV. And, well, you really don’t wanna. So, just no. There’s a #5k. Just do that. #ankle #ItsOkayToUnderachieveOnce #TabWouldBeProud 

START: It’s me and you Jigs. Let’s get it.

Mile 1: Hmmm. It’s been a while since I’ve walked a race. This actually feels good. Seriously, I should do this more often.

Mile 2: Or nah. I kind of get why I run now. I’d like for this to be over Jesus. #iUnderstandYouNowAlicia #SprintUpTheHills #GetItOverAlready

Mile 3: Wait, what happened to Jigs? Oh, there she is. Oh, now I know what I gotta do. She’s about to hate me. I think I like it.

Mile 3(0.1): Oh, she’s about to get this PR. And a kill. C’mon Jigs!!!!

FINISH: Yassssssss! She did that! That girl never stood a chance!!!! I’m so proud! She killed this 5k!

Mile 6(0.2): eeeeek. They look upset. Maybe I should start cheering and get all happy and whatnot and they’ll forget they just ran 6.2 miles without me.

(their)FINISH: Whatever you do girl, Do. Not. Break. Character. Turn-The-Eff-Up!

I did what I said I would do. I was present for every run. I started with him. And at the very last one, I got to see him finish. I was able to witness his first steps, and welcome in his last with clapping, cheering, and a shiny new medal. I’ll never know what he became. I think I want to, but it's not for me to know. It was always and only for me to do what I said I would do. Be there. He asked me not to leave him, and I never did. I think that I believe that everyone is going to have some life changing experience from all of this. That they are going to get hooked on the feeling like Tyrone Biggims is on crack #hooked #addicted #ItsSoContagious. But I don’t think it’s that way – and I’m not sure it’s that way for him. But whatever it was, I hope it was worth it.

It’s an amazing feeling seeing your friends achieve their goals. #RunningHubby wasn’t the only person who set out to do something great. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, all stealthy like a fighter jet, Jigs #AngelicaRollerskates been out here marching for miles and medals. A quiet commitment to something greater than herself. I think it was just how she wanted it to be. Something personal, something just for her, something to prove something else to herself. I hope it taught her whatever it was suppose to teach her too…and then a little something else. It’s always the unexpected lessons, those unknown things we come to know about ourselves by surprise that grow us. I imagine she didn’t think she had it in her to sprint that last leg of the race. I wish she could have seen the smirk on her face as she crossed the finish line. It was everything.

…and that’s #Year2 of the #RunTheBay challenge. I'm not doing this again. I mean, it's not a chore or anything to do. But, really, why would you do something AGAIN, after you literally just did it AGAIN??? 

I was prepared to hang the medals up until they told me what you get in #Year3.

A medal rack.

FuhK. I’ll be back. #2016 #TheYearOfRagnar #andTheRunTheBayChallenge 
#Again #andAgain #andOneMoTime #ForTheOrangeCameraAndMedalRack

#15ThingsIn2015 Challenge

5 new states (Louisiana – 1 down, 4 to go) #iShouldWorkOnThisOne

4 new friends (OldieButNewbie #RunningHubby; My Child; WickedWineRunCrew (6 people!); Ragnar Napa Valley (10 people!) – 18 down, -12 to go)

3 new running events (Shamrock Half; St Charles Road Race; Orange County Half; Wicked Wine Run; Ragnar Napa Valley; Let’s Go 510…5k – 6 down, -3 to go)

2 back-to-back running events (Rock N Roll San Jose 5K & Half; Ragnar Napa Valley & Let’s Go 510…5k – 2, 0 to go)

1 Half Marathon PR (Rock N Roll San Diego! 6 minutes! – 1 down, 0 to go)

The Path #LostAndFound #Again

You know what’s awesome about loving something? Being able to share it with people you love. Yea, the goal is that they’ll love it to. But, you’re so obsessed with this thing that you don’t really care if they love it like you. That’s a technicality. At least at the moment.

…and I’ve made it back to Louisiana! Only this time, I’m there for #NASPA15 and more running! #ThePresident and I were coming off of our Shamrock Shenanigans, so it only made sense that we would find a running event at our conference location and come down a couple days early to rack up more miles. Believe it or not, it wasn’t me who found the race. It was #ThePresident. And he was soooo excited. So much so, I lovingly forced my child to run with us because, well, there was a 5k option and we were staying in the same hotel.

Now I know all the rules. What type of shirts do you get with your race entry? Are there adequate water stations? Does the race have a medal for all finishers or just those who place? Is there a time limit on the course?

Cotton *eh*… Not really. Nope – no medals at all. Kinda.

Why “kinda” you ask? Well, let me tell you…

START: This maybe wasn’t the best idea. Especially after a night on Bourbon Street.

Mile 1: Wow. This city had been through so much, and it’s still so beautiful. I could totally see myself living here.

Mile 2: Yea, living here. In a house. Fully air conditioned. Ain’t nobody get time for this. It’s March and still this humid. Ain’t no way… *remembers I signed up for RnRNOLA 2016* *enters Audubon Park*

Mile 3: This is such a lovely park. So much life in this city… What are they doing over there… *begins running the wrong way, has no idea* *has gone almost a mile in the wrong direction*

Mile 4: Wait… Where did everyone go? This isn’t the running event I was here with? Do. They. Have. A. Full. Marching. Band. With. Them. On. This. Same. Path? *detours through the grass*

*desperate search for the exit from the park back to the street, hella lost*

Mile 5: *exits Audubon Park* I quit. Running is stupid. Where is the Jambalaya? Well, It’s obviously not that way *looks back at NOLA PD car trailing me*… I’m definitely the last person this time.

Mile 6: That jambalaya better be hella good. I wonder what Cori’s doing? She’s obviously finished her race by now. How many colleges are on this street anyway? #PassesTulane&Loyola

Mile 6(0.2): …and I don’t even get a medal. Dammit.

FINISH: Is it time to eat? They give you hand grenades after the races in NOLA, right?

My sweet baby was waiting at the finish line for me with a cup of water and a smile. I was just glad I found the path. I had plenty of time to rest up. I mean, there was no point in powering through the race. Running through the parade crowds, on the wet grass around them, and literally in the wrong direction – all having already past the one water station, I kinda just you know, took my time.

She told me about her “struggle” to the finish. It only sounded that way because she didn’t believe she could do it. But she found her strong, and finished stronger – and in some beautiful shoes… #ImNotJealous #OkayALittleJealous

As we made our way back to the hotel via the St Charles Road trolley, and she thought about her life and the decisions I made that brought her here, she commented about the moment. She said that had anyone else done this, asked/told her to sign up for this race and do it, she would not have. It wasn’t even about peer pressure or anything like that. Connection. Influence. It’s about those.

There are people in our lives who are so connected to who we are as beings, that we will do literally anything. They exert that much influence over the very next thing we may do. How wonderfully dangerous is that? To know that the answer will always be yes – even when the answer is really no. I giggled as she told me (and her significant other) that. Then, I wondered if I was even worth of such a thing. Or even a responsible enough human to manage that kind of power. eeek bro. eeek.

What were the lessons learned on this day?

1.  Running isn’t everyone’s thing. People aren’t going to be committed to this endeavor like me. But, if you have any control over them (ie: motherhood) then, it doesn’t matter if it’s their thing. Make them do it anyway. Plus, exercise is good for you.

2.  Make your own medals. It’s worth it when you’re forcing people to run with you and the running event doesn’t have them. That was probably the best feeling ever – having a medal waiting for my baby when we got back to the hotel. Yes, I made her wear it.

3.  Jambalaya after a race can’t replace a medal. But it’s a hell of a better option than a banana. I’ve done the research.

4.  Our spheres of influence are higher, wider, and deeper than we could ever know. Pray to God that you have enough humility to never know the depths of that influence.

This race was awesome! And that’s hard to believe – um, there was no medal, right? But was there?  Three checks off my list! I got a new state, a “new” friend, and a new running event! Everything about this one was winning.

Even getting lost.

#15ThingsIn2015 Challenge

5 new states (Louisiana – 1 down, 4 to go)

4 new friends (OldieButNewbie #RunningHubby; My Child – 2 down, 2 to go)

3 new running events (Shamrock Half; St Charles Road Race – 2 down, 1 to go)

2 back-to-back running events

1 Half Marathon PR