With My Own Two Feet: August, September

AUGUST
Summer Showdown Run (Santa Monica, CA) - 6.2 miles

After two half marathons in two months and during one of the busiest months of the year for someone who works in Higher Education, it was time to check out the Rocket Racing Productions schedule.  But knowing that there was another big race coming up in just a month, this time I registered for the 10k.  Having done two of these runs already, I was familiar with the course.  The 10k option just meant doing two laps up and down the strand, rather than one.  And in month eight of my challenge, it was feeling much more commonplace to get up early on a weekend to run.  For fun.  And maybe because breakfast always tastes so much better having clocked some miles beforehand.

SEPTEMBER
Ragnar Napa Valley (San Francisco, CA - Calistoga, CA) - 2.7 miles, 6.7 miles, 3.3 miles

Something that I've learned over and over again from my year of running is how supportive the running community is.  Each race I've done, there is always someone who passes me, smiles and gives some type of encouragement along the way.  And unlike the younger version of myself, I welcome this encouragement.  A younger me probably would've felt inept because I was moving slowly and being passed by, or I would've wondered if the words of encouragement were coming from a place of pity.  But those were old thoughts coming from a place of insecurity.  Each passerby is just another runner who is on the same journey and knows just how incredible the accomplishment is.  And their words of encouragement come from a genuine place of knowing exactly how far support can take you.

Ragnar may be one of the best examples of this type of runner support.  The encouragement, support and laughter that you collect along each leg is truly inspiring.  And encouragement is contagious.  Before you know it, you find yourself offering the same support to others along the way.  My support of others during Ragnar Napa started before we even jumped into our vans in San Francisco.  As we were pulling together runners to create our next Ragnar team, I was excited to be joined again by my brother, my cousin Steffie and some of my closest friends.  But there was one newbie I had my sights on, and I was determined to get her to say yes: my cousin Jessica.

Jessica is only a year and a half younger than I am, and throughout the years, she has been both my dearest friend and my biggest enemy.  Like many family members, especially those who are close in age, we had our moments as children when it was inevitable for our time together to result in at least one fight.  But as we got older, those fights diminished, and all that was left was the love we have for each other.  And much like me, Jessica has had her own battle with low self esteem.  She has never fully believed how amazing she is.  But fortunately for her, I've never doubted it.  Knowing that she had recently started running, I started my campaign for her to join the team via text message, hoping she may be easy to sway.  But when she immediately resisted telling me she wasn't yet good enough to do a Ragnar, I picked up the phone.  She had to hear my voice to know how serious I was.  And all of the encouragement that came pouring out of my mouth were the same words that were used to convince me that I could do it.  And so, whether because she believed me or because she was tired of listening to me, she caved in and joined the team.  And as our van took off from the start line and inched closer to her first leg, she became increasingly nervous.  And when Anthony passed the slap bracelet on to her, we all watched as she dashed away.  Somewhere between those two exchanges, as she was running solo through the bay area, she fell in love.  She was hooked.  She was a Ragnarian.  I couldn't help but smile; not just because I was happy that she finally knew that she could do it, but also because I helped her get there.  And giving that gift to someone else is priceless.

Ragnar is definitely about the team.  With every pass of the slap bracelet, your love and affection for each other grows (even when patience thins and exhaustion sets in).  This time around, I was runner three, immediately following my brother.  And there are no words for how much it meant to me to be given a sweaty hug and kiss on the cheek by Philip each time I started my legs.  Talk about priceless.  And at the end of the race, our team found ourselves in the middle of Napa Valley.  What better way than to celebrate our accomplishment with a picnic at a vineyard.  And when you're surrounded by beautiful scenery and people you love, it's hard to feel anything other than complete.