23 weeks till Ironman - Racing @ 40

You got it - I turned 40 this week!  On Thursday to be exact. . . . May 24, 2012.  These kind of days remind me of other momentous days. . . like my 30th birthday.  

That is a whole different story that sometimes feels like a whole different life, with a whole different person. . . although I know that I am who I am today because of who I have been. . . it's a bit of a mind waggle to say the least.  

All I am going to say about turning 30 is that I felt like I was falling apart physically - my rib went out ON my 30th birthday,  I could hardly breathe as we tried to find a chiropractor somewhere in the midwest.  I was wearing orthotics in my shoes and a mouth guard for grinding my teeth. . . . here is a photo to remind me of what 10 years can do. . . . 

Women's Handcart Pull on our Beazer Family trip to Nauvoo in 2002.

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK - 10 years later . . . . . 

I'm turning 40 with sparklers!!!

With the perfect cake for me this year. . . . trying to eat gluten free and dairy free - VOILA!

Thank you Duane for the perfect cake made entirely out of REAL FRUIT!!!!

On Saturday, I ran my first race as a 40 year old. . . . The Legacy 1/2 Marathon.  This was my first long distance race since my surgery 15 months ago. . . actually my first long distance race since the Pumpkinman 19 months ago. . . . . Making it 2 years ago that I signed up to do this same race, but I knew there was something wrong with me, and even my chiropractor told me NOT to run in the race . . . and so I DNS the Legacy 1/2 Marathon in 2010.  That was REALLY hard for me that day. . . I really want to put all of that behind me . . . 

Duane admitted later that day that he just kept saying over and over as he drove up and down the race course taking pictures . . . "please let this be a good experience" . . . "please let this be a good experience".  His prayers worked.

Some of my 'run like a mother' friends: Karen Bevans and Barb Pilling

Duane's nieces, Jillisa Quinton and Brooklyn Quinton started running this year
(like this year as in 2012, NOT this year as in the last 12 months!)
They ran in the Legacy 1/2 Marathon today too!  Finishing together with a time of 2:09:34
So these natural runners have only been running for 5 months - amazing!
It is so fun to have more family around!

This was a great race for me - I had fun, and felt good.
My feet did what my feet do . . . . PAIN that comes and goes. . . .
My time today was 2:21:11.  I was hoping for (expecting) anything between 2:10 and 2:30
I was happy with my results.  I was second in my age category.
Gotta love small races.  Gotta love being newly 40!
I feel like I have improved so much in the last 2 years, and I still have room to improve which is good too.  I am so glad I am not sick anymore.

“The secret of success is constancy to purpose.”

-Benjamin Disraeli

That's the thing about running: 

your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. 

They are moments in time when running allows you

 to see how wonderful your life is.       

- Kara Goucher

Well, 3 days into being 40 - life is fantastic!  

When people ask what I am doing for my 40th birthday, I answer -"I'm doing Ironman!" 

- and then the conversation ends. . . . abruptly . . . oh well!  I know they were expecting something more exciting . . but really - what can be more exciting than doing IRONMAN??!

Happy 40th Birthday to me anyways!