Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Crossing 1,000 Miles and Loving Running Even in the Rain

This morning I entered the #BABTT team miles for the month of June and I'm so proud that we've logged 1,038 of our 2,015 miles for the year! We're well on our way to completing the 2,015 miles in 2015 challenge. I can't wait to hang that finisher's medal on my wall.


I continue to make strides towards my other goals of running 15 races in 2015 (11 completed!) and meeting my portion of the 672 miles of our team goal (logged more than 360 miles so far!). This past weekend the Badass babes and dudes loaded up cars and treked to Atlanta to run the Peachtree Road Race, the worlds largest 10k with a whopping 60,000 runners! Allyce and I took off Friday morning to meet up with Mitzi and Scott, Erin and Al, and Addison, and I had the joy of staying with my Atlanta friends Staci and Greg while in town who were also running the Peachtree.

The race was WET! It rained from the time we got up until the time we finished running. I was soaked, my red tank top bled into my favorite white running skirt, It looked like I completed a tough mudder at the finish, I dodged golf umbrellas and people walking the course but still managed to get a new 10 PR and beat last year's course time by just under a minute. I'll take that as a success.



Running through rain was certainly no picnic, but it taught me a valuable lesson. In fact it smacked me right in the face. It taught me that no matter how hard you train, no matter how many miles you log, no matter how many summers you run through 95% humidity and 75 degrees, if you don't love it, you won't put yourself through it. Running isn't about other people. It isn't about impressing anyone. It's about me. Motivating myself, reaching little goals, which turn into bigger goals, which turn into life goals.

When I was angry about the weather and the storm delays and standing around dripping wet because there was no shelter from the storm, I turned on my iPod and Kip Moore's song Faith When I Fall started to play. The song is about faith and reconnecting with God. Which we all need the reminder, and believe me, I spent some time reconnecting with God while on the course. But the lyrics which I needed were as follows "I know the rain is coming, and its sure going to pour. I know there ain't no running from this kind of storm. It's gonna get harder and harder to keep on pushing through. I'm gonna want to quit so i'll be counting on you." At that point I just laughed. Like a really hard and long laugh. I threw my hands up and said you win God. And at that point I took off across the starting line.

 

Though next year I'm definitely going to do the boozy fun run with Mitzi, Erin, Allyce and the others instead! The look on my face at the race end compared to their faces says it all. Thankfully I had an epic weekend to bookend the race! I didn't realize how much I needed to let loose and having fun with my friends. And have fun did we ever! The Badass babes and dudes had dinner on Friday night at The Optimist. Post race cocktails and amazing Mexican food with Staci and Greg at Superia, followed by some game time at Joystick rounded out Saturday.  And before we got back on the road to Tallahassee Sunday we had brunch at Rosebud where we got to meet the chef who was on Top Chef Boston!




As Mitzi said at brunch, you know it was a great weekend when we are already planning Peachtree Road Race 2016. Can't wait for the next epic BAB weekend, which is on the books for November in Savannah!

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