Don’t just visit happiness, LIVE IT!

It’s a plain and simple truth…

Life is not always easy.  It is never certain, most times unclear.  We live in a world of earthquakes, floods, war, death, inequality, racism, hunger, divorce, poverty.  Many aspects of life challenge us as human beings every day.  We must push through and persevere.

Isn’t life full of amazing wonders though?  Sunshine, family, nature, love, warmth.  The list is endless.

Sometimes it is very difficult to watch the news these days.  It seems that most of the time the world is focused on what’s wrong.  I wish we could focus more on what’s right with the world.

We need to smile, and laugh, and love.  Hug your loved ones.  Be polite.  Care for your neighbors.  Reach out and help strangers.  Uplift, and enjoy life.  We only have one life to live, and doesn’t it make more sense to be kind?

Let negativity go, or use it to inspire positive change.

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if more of us smiled?  Live in your happy place today, and every day.

Race Preview- New River Marathon

Two weeks from right now I will be closing in on the finish line of my 19th marathon.  May 2nd is only two weeks away, and I will finally be running a marathon that has been on my radar for a few years now.

Currently tapering for what will be a battle in the woods, along the river and over hills in quiet, serene surroundings.  I am SO looking forward to a small and beautiful race, a race where the only competition I will be competing with is myself.

The past few years I have ended up choosing races that interfered with this one, so it’s finally my year to join the runners in Todd, NC.  I am missing the Blue Ridge Marathon, and/or Tarheel Ten Miler which are both running today.  I chose to run the half instead of the full for last weekends Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh.  All in preparation for the New River race.

There’s something to be said for big city races, large crowds and thousands of runners, but this race will be far from that.  Located in a small rural town in the mountains of North Carolina, the New River Marathon, Half and 5k is a small, cozy affair.  I’m already looking forward to the drive up there, and the small country feel of the race.  The atmosphere will be great, I’m sure.

As I’ve said before, so often we run with not only our feet, but our eyes.  This marathon will be beautiful!

I have no specific finish time goals for this race, as it is not an easy race course.  My one and only goal is to enjoy the run.  The 26.2 mile run.

….and only a week remains until… Marathon #18

Yes I sip my coffee this morning in preparation for my four hour drive to Asheville, I can’t help but think about next weekend.  Tomorrow will be a great test, and final preparation for another marathon.

The All American Marathon is next weekend!  I cannot believe how quickly it has arrived.  Last year the race was the first weekend in May.  It was hot, it was sunny, it was grueling.  This year they bumped up the date about six weeks.  Landing on March 22nd this year, we are only a week and a day away.  This one will be #18 for me.  Hard to believe.

I will be prepared to put on my smile, lace up the Asics and run.

This marathon journey has been a hell of a ride.  Running can take you so many places, all you have to do is have the desire and will.

To anyone out there that has yet to try the marathon distanceI say one thing.  It will change your life!

By the Numbers

I haven’t been able to say this much (at all) in 2015, but it was a really good running week!   Can barely believe it myself, but I managed four workouts.  Yep, that hasn’t happened not one time this year.  Why does life get in the way of my running sometimes?  Maybe I’ve just let too much get in the way to far this year, and haven’t pushed hard enough.  Whatever the case, I didn’t let the weather, a cold, my work hours, or family life get in the way this week.  I didn’t come up with any excuses not to run.  This bodes well for a busy month.

So, let’s focus on the runs.  Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Count them!

All fairly routine runs, involving hills and flats.  I focused on negative splits this week as I ran some very challenging hills to start each run.  The good news is that even though my runs have been very erratic so far this year, this past week was a huge improvement.

The month of March will be busy for me.  I started well!  This coming weekend I have a Half Marathon on Sunday.  My first Half of the year, and first Half since early November.  I’m looking forward to it.  This is the event that I am pacing at, so this weeks workouts will be short runs and paced evenly throughout.  I will be prepared to hit the 8:00 minute miles in Asheville this weekend.  A destination race for me, I will be packing up and driving to Asheville (about a four hour drive) on Saturday morning.  I will be volunteering at the Expo from 1-5pm.  I ran the inaugural marathon at this race two years ago, and can’t wait to return this time for the Half.  Biltmore, here I come!

I have been focusing on hill work because the course this weekend incorporates many.  The second race I will be running this month is exactly a week later.  March 22nd is the All American Marathon about an hour from home.  This will be my second Full of the year, and this race course has some inclines, as well.  Both of my sons are running this race, the Half, so it will be a load of good times.

This past week involved some planning, as well.  Lots of news to share, some that I have eluded to already, but when you race destinations, there is a lot involved.  I did manage to get a hotel reserved for a race I have in the mountains at the beginning of May.  My plan for the a Summer is to run the Revel Rockies event outside of Colorado.  This is going to be my “A” race at the marathon distance, and my BQ attempt this year.  I haven’t nailed down any travel plans yet, but I have to keep checking for airline rates.  I found an amazing deal for last year when I flew to Utah, so I just have to hope for an equally enticing deal that I can’t pass up on.  Will continue to keep my eyes peeled.

As I wait to get some finalization on some great news today, I will leave you with another tidbit.  Hey, that reminds me, did any of you make it into the TCS New York City Marathon?  The lottery drawing was this past week.  My brother made it in!