Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy Valentines Day!
I think that covers it.
So, me, what have I been up to? Oh a little running here and there. Some challenges, a cleanse, stairs, the dreadmill, a Bondi Band Expo...what you say?! Bondi Band!
Yep! Got a call a couple weeks ago to go to Nashville, TN to do the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k on February 13-15! I was so excited! An expo, Bondi Band, and Nashville...a perfect trifecta! But wait, there's more! I signed up and ran the 5k! I said from the beginning that if I could do the race of the expo I would be working at I would. So I did. Annnnnd the swag was pretty sweet!
So as I was driving home on Saturday, I was reflecting on the previous days and came to a few realizations...
I ran my first race without my support system...aka all my running buddies. I walked to the start line solo. Waited in my corral solo. Ran solo. Finished solo. It was different. Kinda rewarding to my ego. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MY RUNNING BUDDIES! And I love RUNNING WITH MY BUDDIES. But just when I didn't think I could do it, I did it.
Another thing I realized, and this happened more during my time at the expo, is that there are all shapes, sizes, types of runners. The fast one, the slow one. The skinny one, and the not so skinny one. The serious runner, and the one that is just there to have a good time with friends! Those that sign up as a training run, and those that sign up just to do it. Those that may have 100's of runs under their belts, and those that this is their first. I am one of those. And I love how far I've come.
I talked to a lot of people. A lot. I made connections with strangers. Learned what it takes to put an event like that together. Found new products for pain relief. I saw Nashville and all the bright lights. People smiled. I smiled. It was a very rewarding trip. Not just in my pocket, but my ego, my morale, my confidence.
And so where do I go from here...
More expos. More races. More running.
Until then...
Run. Strong.
-t-
