The last time I wrote, there was a hummingbird nesting in my backyard. If you’re wondering why I have been silent, it is because the nest was attacked shortly after my post – pieces of nest hanging from multiple branches, no sign of an egg anywhere, and momma hummingbird flying frantically about the area. I have no idea if she laid more eggs elsewhere or if she took some time to mourn the loss. I’d certainly understand, if that was the case.
Meanwhile, the anniversary of Tom’s passing came and went. This year marked 15 years since he left us. BoBo came up from SoCal to have dinner with YaYa and I. We reminisced a little, but mostly enjoyed an excuse to be together during these crazy times. It’s so hard to believe that those little boys of 8 and 14 years old are now grown men with such busy lives. I’m sure their father would be proud to see the men they have become. In fact, YaYa is getting ready to transfer to Tom’s alma matter.
Training-wise, I am struggling to find my happy pace. I did, however, find a few old voice recordings from Tom and the boys encouraging me to run fast. AND, I found some from you as well. The voices and accompanying words of encouragement that fueled me in my many BQ attempts, now fuels me to simply keep up the effort. Whether it is Coach Jeff reminding me to “dig deep”, Thunderclap saying “Cwoss the finish line”, or Runner Susan telling me that I have “great hair”; it all makes me smile, which keeps me moving. And I just want to say that I am still so grateful for all of the support and love over all these years.
As for the race, at this point (with < 20 days before toeing the line), all I can hope for is to finish the race in one piece.
Last year, when I was in the final stage of earning my Spartan Trifecta, my brother (Robert) decided that he wanted to do the same. You should know that I am one of 4 siblings who have all lead a quite athletic lifestyle – with the exception of Robert. His desire to complete the required races to gain trifecta status would not come easy. I decided that I would accompany him on his journey, and Lil Sis (Carol) volunteered to do the same.
But it was NOT easy. His pain was palpable at times. His determination was admirable every step of the way. It was cool to hear him express his thoughts while navigating the steepest downhill sections (with some uphill thrown in for good measure) the final 5-ish miles. He wasn’t planning to do another Beast, so he was really taking in the experience. Being accepting of the pain, he took my input on how to encourage glute activation to heart.