Tomorrow I will be 50! I'll have gone around the sun 50 times and will embark on my 51st journey. I just took this unedited photo to document the moment. All-in-all, I'm comfortable with me. I think that comes from being happy with what my body can do, the places it takes me under my own power, and the way it lets me feel!!
I don't wish to be a different age. That would mean undoing things I have done and things I have learned. Life has filed away many of the sharp edges and left me softer, more open, less fearful. I like myself more now than ten years ago. I know that the things I value most can't be taken from me - love, relationships, knowledge, skills, courage, freedom, fun, resilience, and gratitude.
This past year has taught me that I'm capable of more than I thought, and shown me that I am stronger than I believed.
I choose to move forward with a spirit of adventure and with a heart full of love. Yeah, I think that pretty much sums it up.
I'm opting to have a pretty low key birthday without any special "50" related workouts. That is a big departure for me. I have a brick scheduled and I'll do it as planned - my first race, a duathlon, is just a month away! Training has been going reasonably well - on track and on schedule - which is kind of amazing if you knew how insanely packed life is at the moment.
I want to wrap this blog post with something I say a LOT, which is how wonderful it is to be a part of the running/swimming/tri community. People are active and competitive through their 80's, 90's and beyond! There's a great flow of energy and fun with friends in the sport and from the sport itself. I feel very fortunate and never lonely!
Watch out 50-54's...here I come!
P.S. Once the semester is over I will be grading less and blogging more, lol.