Fun in Feenix (yes, I know it's "Phoenix", but that's how it sounds...)

Last month I found myself in Arizona to do a little work for Trakkers and to help execute a Trakkers test for the Phoenix Marathon.  My friend and Trakkers teammate, Andy Krebs,  helped to get some of the cool cats on his local team, RaceLab, to volunteer for testing.

I decided to jump into the run itself – the half not the full, of course.   I didn’t really have the run volume to support a speedy half, but doing an easy aerobic run for training wasn’t an entirely awful idea.   It was beautiful Arizona – why not?

Andy decided to throw down the gauntlet and set up a bet for us.   He gave me a 25:00 window – was he totally STUPID?  Even unfit I could easily come within 25minutes of him.  Give me a break.     

Senator John McCain was at the start of the race – he was on a tower above us at the start line, waving to the crowd and also starting the race.  Very cool to see!  My friends Matt and Kelly Reed were also there doing the half, and I was able to give a quick hug and hello before they took off in the elite wave.  Kelly invited me to start with them in the first wave but I opted not to.  Unless I am RACING ELITE, I am not racing elite.  It's an honor but also an earned position.   

Senator McCain started us and off we went.  Andy took off like a bullet.  Man, he was taking this bet seriously.  I wanted to chat about ponies and sunsets and cheeseburgers - apparently he wanted to run.    Within 10 seconds I didn’t even see him anymore.    Uh oh.  : )

At mile 4,  I saw my GIRL (!!), Trakkers teammate Sonja Wieck, on the side of the road and cheering like mad.  She was there to support some of her friends who were racing from Colorado … seeing her jumping around and cheering, with her little “C’mon Sharpie!” words of support made my day.   Sonja is one of my favorite people on the planet - you can't help but be in a good mood just being around her.  Her enthusiasm is infectious, and contagious.   BREATHE ON ME, SONJA!!

  I knew I wasn’t “racing” when I started waving to her and yelling back asking her how she was, etc.   :)   If Carole is talking, Carole is NOT racing.  : )   So funny how different I am in different mental settings.

But……………… I am humiliated to admit ---- Andy beat me by more than 25 minutes.

Holy crap!  :)

(Good job, Krebs.  Glad to know beating me served as incredible motivation for you to run like the wind! Haaa…………)

I did some good stretching afterward, and slammed down some of my favorite recovery drink, Ultragen, to be sure I wouldn’t be limping for days.   This stuff really makes a difference for me; namely, I can tell when I DON’T drink it so I think that says it all.   

 Later on I felt pretty good.   Mind, body AND spirit.  It was good for me to do a run like that, a race environment, the crowds cheering, the palm trees, it was good for me.  I had a lot of time in my head during that run and tried to just enjoy it, and enjoy simply being able to be active again.   I hope to continue to inspire people to keep fighting the good fight with their own comeback story – whatever theirs is.  We ALL have one.  Whether you’re coming back from a broken back or from a broken spirit, or from shin splints or from overtraining, or simply coming back from a bad day – we all heed that same call: KEEP GETTING BACK UP!!!!

It is not how you fall, or how many times you do – but it is the courage with which you continue to rise, continue to fight, valiantly, each time.   Keep getting back up, Carole…. Keep getting back up.

A few days later I joined Andy and my new best friend, Cory Hove (whom many people have come to agree is me in male form - SCARY, I think for him!), for some rehydrating ... haaa! ..... with my favorite post-workout drink: margaritas.

 A few days later I got invited to join a Racelab Saturday morning ride.  These are FUN people, I really like their Phoenix triathlon team, so I jumped at the opportunity to join in on their very social 2 hour ride - followed by a big brunch shared by the whole group.  This social approach really makes the training FUN.

Halfway through the ride I had to stop for a photo with my RaceLab gal-pals, Jeanine Cordova and Ashley Robota.

 We’ve had a rougher winter than normal in Boulder… but frankly most of the country has been hit pretty hard so this is not reflective of just Boulder.   Since the winter has been rougher, I am so grateful to have been able to be in Phoenix for a bit to enjoy the great January weather there….  And to enjoy the company of so many great people. 

If you live in the Phoenix area and are looking for a really cool group of folks with whom to do some training, hanging out, social events, etc., people who like to make exercise/training as enjoyable as possible…. Really NICE people…. I highly encourage you to check them out.   They invited me to all their stuff – their track workouts, their swims, their fun social outings.  I feel like I have a 2^nd family in Phoenix now and look forward to any opportunity I can to hang out with these folks…

Thanks, Racelab friends, for such love and laughter extended to me.  In many ways I left a different person.  Laughter and kindness is good for the soul….

Keep getting back up!!!!!

Cheers.