Two weeks after I earned my first dnf at an event I was offered a complimentary entry into an off-road triathlon. I've said numerous times I don't want to do triathlons, but my friend wanted me to join her and the cost was only the administrative fee. I was one of the few participants who chose not to use a wetsuit. The water was the perfect temperature, the morning was beautiful and I was the last swimmer out of the water, but that didn't matter I only had something to prove to myself and it was that I would prevail over that DNF. I made up for some lost time on the mtn bike portion and finished the run with some walking limping jogging intervals and had a great time and earned a cool metal.
A couple weeks later I decided I would be a pacer for a friend on a weight loss and running journey to better health. My spartan race training partner and I arrived at the midnight 5k run in Avila the third weekend in October it was a fun run to benefit Special Olympics. We joined my friend to offer pacing support. She was doing great and had planned walking intervals, but just before the half mile mark I asked how she was feeling and she said great and I asked her to make a goal to maintain that pace to the finish line. Not only did she achieve that goal, but shaved five minutes off her previous time.
The following weekend I participated in the 4th annual mudmash. I had a great time although I missed some course markings and had to backtrack to complete the waterslide and the rings obstacle I was unsuccessful on.
I participated in a 5k color run with my spartan race training partner. I had a goal to finish in under 30 minutes and to complete negative mile splits. I was only 38 seconds shy of my goal and I ran negatives with the straight away to the finish line at an 8 minute mile pace. That was a great event also benefitting Special Olympics.
On Veteran's Day I did an 8 mile run to benefit Operation Surf. I had a goal to PR on this course. Shortly before mile 4 a triple amputee runner fell on the road in front of me. My PR goal was no longer a priority and making sure he was not hurt mattered more than a PR. He got up on his own despite his left prosthetic having been rotated during the fall he made some adjustments and kept on running. I sped up on the downhills and ran some negative splits and I was content with my finish.
Thanksgiving morning I drove an hour North to pick up a guy named Ben who I hadn't met previously but learned he had just committed along with a group of friends to running a spartan race in January. I then drove 45 minutes south to pismo beach where we participated in the turkey trot benefitting the food bank. Ben did awesome and finished the 10k. I ran a much slower 5k than anticipated, but I had fun.
Well I'm not always running. Sometimes I stop and rest and learn of a need for quilts for Children's Hospital Los Angeles Oncology Christmas party. I made a goal to provide two quilts. One for a girl and one for a boy. I purchased the fabric and finished the girl one. I waited for a fabric sale and finished purchasing the material for the boy quilt. I wanted to complete them both on my extended holiday weekend time off work, but I may be a little shy of that goal, but I'm happy to use my hobby to be charitable.
Today I spent all morning and afternoon with my best friend and favorite mountain biking partner. It is amazing to have someone who truly values my friendship and expresses that and seems to know just how to encourage me and can even laugh at me carrying my bike down a section of trail I was intimidated by. He isn't afraid to ask me to believe in myself and to say he wished I was less intimidated by difficult sections of the downhill technical parts of trail. It's also amazing to ride back to the trailhead and be handed an apple that I'd never tried. That's not all though the last time I adventured out on a ride with him it started with him making me fresh wheatgrass juice he grows himself. I guess I kind of like when the charity is given to me.
I always have loved the saying,"focus on giving rather than getting and you will receive more than you ever gave."
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