It's not an exaggeration to say the flame that sparked in 2009 when I joined the triathlon group to train for my first race became an all out blaze in 2010. I became a mentor, I started teaching swim lessons again, and I set a goal to complete my first open water international distance triathlon. In short, I was on FIRE. (2 sprint tri's, 2 10k's, 1 7k, 1 sprint relay, 1 intl dist tri, and a 30mi bike) It was a big year for me.
Seriously, I walked/ran in my first ever 10k, the March 28th Cooper River Bridge Run. It was a blast, and something I even came back from California to be a part of a year later. I tried a different Ramblin Rose event, the RR Raleigh on May 23, 2010. It was more duathlon than triathlon, thanks to an early morning thunderstorm. I still tell stories of the ankle deep mud I ran through at the end of the race. It was my only early year race, in the Fall I became extremely busy.
On September 6, 2010, I rode a 30 mile bike route in Pedal in the Park, an annual Labor Day race. I've got the socks to prove it!
I met my goal for the year on 9/11/10, when I crossed the finish line to end the White Lake International Triathlon. I thought I'd vomit during the swim, the bike I rode was too small for me, and there were fire ants in my transition area, which were then trapped in my shoes. WORSE RACE EVER!!!! And yet, it ranks among the top ten of the most quoted and memorable weekends of my life!
I returned to the Ramblin Rose on September 26, 2010, after having convinced my two older sisters to do the race as well. We stood on the finish line, in the rain, crying on each others shoulders, made stronger by the overall experience together. It still brings tears to my eyes to just think about it.
I earned one of my favorite tech t-shirts on 10/10/10, when I relayed with friends (Team Skarbucts!) in the Take Flight triathlon. It was the fastest bike I'd ridden on that particular course. The honor of my first 7k, goes to the North Meck Rescue 7k, which I ran on October 23, 2010. I then followed up with my second 10k, the Fall Harvest Run, on October 30, 2010. I embraced the Halloween theme and ran partially costumed. Rawllr!!!
I'd like to say I kept that athletic fire burning, but I moved to Cali the next year and though I thoroughly enjoyed long runs along the beach (www.carolinasdreaming.com), the only race I did was the aforementioned April 2, 2011 Cooper River Bridge Run. (Well, I also aided a friend by doing their swim in the White Lake Int'l, but that wasn't really my race!)
I met one of my 2012 goals when I completed my first half marathon on February 18 in Myrtle Beach, and earned my first piece of race bling; that was awesome, the race itself, to me, was not. (First and only half, thank you very much:D)
I did also add two 30 mile bike rides that I'd much rather forget, but my training partners won't let me. I don't even remember the name of the race we did on Sept.8, 2012 (pic below), I just know I hated it!
And, looking back on 2013, I added another Ramblin Rose to my list of races, the July 14th RR Rock Hill. I even went back and rode the new "backwards" bike route as part of the RR Charlotte in September, but both races were supporting someone else. I added another medal to my mantle, but I still didn't rekindle my fire.
So, I am looking back today, because I am preparing my race calendar for the year. I don't have the schedule, or the money, to rock it 2010 style, but I think I got my mindset back. I'm teaching swimming again, full time now; I'm looking forward to mentoring again, and I am excited about new possibilities in the way of new races. I went into work this week and put in my vacation request already for an August race, so much like 2009 and 2012, I am sharing my goals with the public as a way to own them!
As I head out the door for a meeting with my training buddies/sisters, I'm excited about what this year can bring. A new race, a new medal, a new milestone? Who knows. But I've got this burning sensation happening, and I kind of like it!!!!
