NYRR BRONX 10-MILE RACE REPORT 2014

Good morning all.  Ready for a race report of the Bronx 10 Miler?  Here we go...

For the last few weeks, Tom was fretting over this race.  Past race reports said parking was a major issue.  It is da Bronx ya know!

We left our house early (4:30 am) and arrived in the Bronx within an hour and 15 minutes.  Not too shabby.  Tom heard there was a covered parking garage directly behind Yankees stadium so that's exactly where we parked.  When we arrived at the garage (5:45 am) we were the second car there.  By 6:00 am cars streamed in continuously. By 6:30 am a long line had formed to get into the parking garage.  I've said it once and I'll say it again:

GET THERE EARLY PEOPLE!!!

Greetings from Da Bronx!!!

Race Day Central (i.e. packet pickup) was located at Joyce Kilmer Park and opened at 6:30 am. Since the park was a mere 5 minute walk from the garage, we were able to collect our race bibs and tee shirts and head back to the car.  I like races where I don't have to use baggage claim.

After dropping everything off at the car we went back to Race Central to use the porta-potties before the line got too long.  They had a decent number of restrooms but before we knew it, there was a long line for the potty. Get there early people!

We wandered around with the other runners, waiting for the 8:00 am start of the race.  Since we were there so early, a worker snapped a quick photo of Tom and I at the start/finish line. 

We got into our assigned corrals along with a few thousand of our closest running friends and patiently waited for horn to go off.  After the National Anthem was sung, the race was on. We took off running up the Grand Concourse heading towards the Bedford Park section of the Bronx.  The course is an out and back.

Thousands of our closest running friends

Man it's a hot one. Like seven inches from the midday sun.

By the time I reached the one mile marker I thought "OMG, seriously! This is only ONE mile"? That was when I knew it was going to be one of "those" races. It was unseasonably hot and from my perspective, everyone around me looked just as miserable. I hate running in heat.

The road (especially the Grand Concourse) was ridden with potholes and very uneven, making the run more difficult.  I stepped on a small pothole and felt my ankle almost give out. I knew I would have to pay attention to the road surface and where I was stepping.  

Rumor had it that it was a relatively flat course.  Flat my ass! I swear people don't know the meaning of flat.  I'm not saying it was hilly, but it most certainly wasn't pancake flat.  The course had several areas where the road graded up and down.  More grades than I expected for the Bronx.  We approached an overpass and ran down then back up again. All I could think was "I'll be revisiting this on the way back when I'm really tired. Yay".

It was at the 4 mile marker where I started to struggle.  My breathing felt totally off and labored. I looked at my watch to see I was running a 7:30 pace.  I tried to slow down and looked at my watch a minute later...7:30 again.  Ugh, what's wrong with me? After all this time I still don't know how to pace myself properly.   I knew that running a 7:30 pace was going to be disastrous for me.  And disastrous it was!

I was at top of the Grand Concourse and heading around a small park when I had to stop for a moment.  I took a quick breather, grabbed water, drank it, dumped some on my head and started running again. I managed another 1/2 mile before my brain screamed "STOP"!!! So I stopped and stood on the side of the road for 10 seconds.  

After catching my breath, I started running.  I managed another 1/2 mile before I had to stop again.  Miles 4.5 to 7 felt like a miserable slog.  I grabbed water at every station, drank some, dumped some over my head hoping to stay cool. Luckily, NYRR had a lot of water stations set up. My struggle with the heat was getting the best of me both physically and mentally.

The mental aspect of falling apart on the run was what frustrated me the most.  All I kept thinking was "I have a half-marathon in 2 weeks. I don't want to run that far.  I have a full marathon in 18 weeks.  I can't and don't want to run that far".  I've always felt confident in my running ability, but this race shook my confidence to the core. What's happening to me?

So here I am, standing on the side of the road at around mile 7 looking for Tom.  I just wanted someone to run with, someone to take my mind off this race.  A homeless man approaches me and says  "girl, you've got this.  You look like you can do this. Lets go, start running".  I wanted to ignore him, but how do you ignore a homeless person who took a moment to motivate you?  You simply can't!!!

I smiled and thanked him for his kind motivation. I told him I wouldn't stop until I reached the finish line.  "It is all in your head" he shouted as he walked away "because you look like you can do this". 

In his honor, I kept my promise and started running without stopping. I slowed down a bit and ran at a doable pace.  I tried to entertain myself mentally by 'people watching' and that seemed to help.  There was a nice crowd of spectators motivating us through the finish chute.  I collected my medal and grabbed the juiciest apple I have ever tasted. I'm not sure which I appreciated more at that moment, the apple or the swag.


A little swag never hurt no one

Before the race began I asked Tom how long this race should take me. He said at my average race pace of about 8:20 per mile I should come in somewhere between 1:23:00 to 1:25:00.  My finish time was 1:24:23. Right in the wheelhouse of Tom's calculation.  He's so smart!

 

Even with all of my stopping, I still completed the race in my estimated time.  Tom crossed a minute behind me and said he wasn't feeling this race either. Mostly because of the heat. He mentioned our upcoming Staten Island Half-Marathon in 2 weeks as well as his upcoming Marine Corps Marathon in 4 weeks.  Neither of which he felt comfortable thinking about after running the Bronx 10 Mile.

It was tough running in the heat and the course was a bit challenging between the potholes and grades.  I'm hoping to have a better experience at the Staten Island Half and I'm going to pace myself better right from the very start.  In 2 weeks, all shall be revealed.  

EVERY NEW DREAM IS DESIGNED TO MAKE YOU QUIT

In the beginning, every new challenge, dream or goal you embark upon is designed to make you quit!  It's just a law of human nature and there's no way around it. Your mind will test your heart over and over again, just to see how badly you want that dream.  Your mind will tell your heart to quit at least a million times over. 

Do everything you can to hold steadfast and keep patience. Surround yourself with others that are embarking upon the same dream as you.  Remember, "if it was easy everyone will do it".  Progress takes time before it reveals itself.  Your not going to see change over the course of day, week, month or sometimes even a year.  How badly does your heart want this?   

A small lesson in progress:
Today as I biked, I reflected back to a day in April when I decided it was time for me to start bicycle training again.  My first big mistake was that I had completely stopped training in October when the weather turned cold.  I should have continued training on a stationary bike, at the very least. I have since made a vow to myself that I will not make that same mistake again this winter.

But I remember that day in April because it was cold and windy. I don't know why I chose that particular day to get back on my bike, but the furthest I could ride was 5 miles.  I was annoyed and disheartened that I would have to start over again to regain everything I had lost over the winter. 

How badly does your heart want this?  I was already dedicating myself 5 days a week to swimming, plus maintaining my running, and now I would be dedicating at least 3 days a week to bicycling.  And I'm not even looking to turn pro, I just want to survive.  And I'll tell you a little secret...I was not particularly fond of bicycling either.  

But time will pass so you might as well do something useful with it.  I didn't see much (if any) progress early on.  But somewhere along the journey, I noticed that I was able to push myself a little bit further and I was moving a little bit faster.  I was able to endure the hard bicycle seat for a longer period of time. How badly does your heart want this?

I got better at shifting gears and making myself more aerodynamic. My ability to climb hills also saw improvement and I started telling myself "don't you dare quit" on difficult uphill climbs.  I became less fearful of cars passing me on the road, and this was a biggie for me!  And dare I say it but eventually I embraced bicycle riding in general and started looking forward to it.  How badly does your heart want this?

Today was a good day for reflecting because I was able to see just how far I had come.   I knew there would be a day when I would think "you've come a long way baby", and today was one of those days. I discovered my heart really wanted this.

I'm already planning my race season for next year and as it stands now, next year should be pretty cool.

January 2015 starts with me running the Louisiana Marathon.  In March, Tom and I will run the New York City Half Marathon.  I've always wanted to run through the streets of Times Square.  Tom and I also qualify for the NYC Marathon next November (2015). The NYC Marathon is just a few days after our 25th wedding anniversary, so we decided to celebrate our big milestone by running together.  In April, we're running the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon and in June we'll run the Brooklyn Half Marathon as well.

I plan on signing up for Ironman Princeton which will take place in September 2015.  I also want to do the NYC Triathlon as a team with my brother and Tom.  If your a New Yorker (or former New Yorker) the NYC triathlon is a must-do-dream-come-true race...at least for me it is! I'd like to consider Musselman Triathlon (another 70.3 distance race) in Lake Geneva, NY.  If for some reason Ironman Princeton doesn't work out for me, I have my sights already set on IM Timberman in New Hampshire.  Jersey Girl and Iron Girl are on my list as well.

So between running and triathlons I have a very busy, but very exciting 2015 ahead of me.  I'm ready for the challenge and I am really looking forward to it. And as always, I look forward to sharing the journey with you too! It should be fun.

IRONMAN PRINCETON 70.3

Before you get all excited, no I did not race at Ironman Princeton.  But I did have the opportunity to volunteer and spectate the race, so I'm coming at it from a different angle this time.
 
It was my first time being a mere spectator at a triathlon as opposed to a competitor.  As I reflect back on it now, I am SO grateful that I had a few triathlons under my belt BEFORE witnessing one...especially one of this distance and size!
 
My morning began when I got up at 2:30 am and escorted a praying mantis out of my house (yes, you read correctly).   After said praying mantis was removed, I hopped in my car and arrived at Mercer County park.  There was a large group of us who had volunteered to body mark the athletes.


Body Marking an Athlete at IM Princeton

Competitors began arriving a little after 4:00 am and continued streaming in until 6:50 am.  It made me crazy that a handful of them arrived so late, considering that the first swim heat (professional men) was schedule to go off at 7:00 am.  A NJ.com reporter took this photo of me and volunteer Tom body marking an athlete. Call me crazy but I thought it captured the moment perfectly!
 
After completing our shifts, we headed down to the lake to watch the swim heats go off.  The heats were divided into various age groups and went off every 3 minutes.  It was supposed to be a beautiful sunny day, but the morning started out damp, dreary, foggy, yucky.
 
There was a designated area in the lake where competitors were allowed to do a pre-race warm-up swim.  The start line was on the other side of the lake, so the competitors had to swim across the lake (not too far) then tread water until the gun went off.
 
As my eyes scanned the lake and took in the 1.2 mile swim distance, I realized how fortunate I was that I had never been a spectator to a triathlon of this size before.  Had I seen that swim course prior to learning to swim, I guarantee you that I would have NEVER taken an adult swim course...ever.  A year ago I would have looked at that course and thought "Nope, there is no way in heaven or hell that I can ever do that".
 
Remember, last year I was the girl who was afraid of putting her face in the water.
 
But what a difference a year makes.  Instead, I looked at the swim course and thought "I hope Ironman comes back to Princeton next year because I am so doing this race".
 


Ironman Princeton Swim Start

BTW, Ironman announced that they are coming back to Princeton next September and registration opens in December.  Woot, woot! An early Christmas present for me.
 
Anyway, back to the race...I noticed fast swimmers and anxious swimmers.  The anxious swimmers stayed towards the back and alternated between breaststroke and freestyle.  Once they calmed down they seemed to be able to swim freestyle continuously.  After watching several heats take off, I walked over to the swim exit to watch some of the athletes as they exited the lake. Most of them looked relieved to have the swim over with.
 
I feel your pain brother!
 
Next, I walked on over to the bike mount area where mayhem ensued!  I saw everything from an athlete noshing on a tuna sandwich (I could smell the tuna) to an athlete with an expensive tri-bike who forgot to inflate her tires. REALLY???  A handful of athletes came out of transition riding their bicycles (a HUGE no, no) and were screamed at by race officials. Quite frankly, they should have gotten a penalty.  One competitor threw her helmet on and completely forgot to snap the buckle under her chin.  A group of us yelled at her to snap her helmet on but she seemed to be in some sort of la la land.  Finally a race official ran over to her and snapped her helmet buckle.
 
But the worst was this; at least half of the athletes (and I am not exaggerating) mounted their bicycles BEFORE the mounting line.  Race officials yelled at them to get off their bicycles so that they could walk their bike OVER the mounting line before they were allowed to take off on the bike course.
 
I was standing next to another triathlete who was also spectating the craziness. Both of us were in shock at what was taking place at the bike mounting area.  You would have thought that a race of this size and scale would have brought out more experienced triathletes, but that didn't seem to be the case. Several of them looked like first timers out there.
 
After every cyclist had finally taken off, the professional men were already making their way back to transition from the bike. It was really neat to see the lead cyclist with the timing car in front of him.
 
The run course had a weird second loop area in it and several people missed the second loop.  They said it wasn't clearly marked so they had to go back and run the second loop to complete the circuit.  I have to get a bit more detail on that, but it's something that will be on my mind next year, unless they change the run course.
 
All in all I was thrilled to be a volunteer and spectator at IM Princeton.  I'm also excited at the prospect of doing the race myself next year. But the most important lesson that I walked away with was this:
 
If your new to swimming and want to get into triathlons, DO NOT (and I mean this) be a spectator until AFTER you complete a few triathlons of your own.  Trust me. All it will do is scare the pants off of you (especially when you see the swim).  And you don't need that kind of negativity before you get started on your own journey. And I'm going to leave it at that!  

FIFTH AVENUE MILE, LBI TRIATHLON AND LAST CALL FOR OWS

Oh my, oh my, time has flown by. I need to get a few updates/race reports in here.  Ready...set...go!

The LBI TRIATHLON
I participated in the LBI Triathlon a week and a half ago as a team with my cousin.  I did the swim and run, my cousin did the bike.  It was a cute triathlon (as in small), and one that I don't need to revisit in the future.  The swim was a 1/4 mile in the bay, bike was 10 miles and the run was 3 miles.  It was quite cold outside with a gusty wind but at least the water was nice and warm.  Froze my ass off after the swim though and was tempted to do the run with my wetsuit on. Ok, I'm just kidding.  They had a nice little after party and it was a well organized event.  The only problem for me is that it's a really long drive for such a small triathlon, so that's why I wouldn't knock myself out to do it again.

THE FIFTH AVENUE MILE IN NYC
Hubby Tom and I ran the Fifth Avenue Mile in NYC the day before the LBI Triathlon. If you've never run this iconic race, but have the chance to do it in the future, go for it! It's quite fun.  We started out on 80th street and ran straight down Fifth Avenue to the finish line on 60th street.  It was my first time doing a one mile sprint and I realized that you need a different running stride when it comes to running a short distance sprint.  I think you need a longer stride as opposed to a short stride (and I have a short stride). Anyway, I ran the mile in 6:41 and Tom ran it in 6:38.  If you stick around after all of the age groupers finish, you can watch the professional men and women sprint down Fifth Avenue.  They'll show you how it's done!

LAST OPEN WATER SWIM PRACTICE AT LAKE OCKANICKON
Saturday was the last call for open water swim practice at Lake Ockanickon in Medford, NJ.  I procrastinated about going at first and left my house 20 minutes later than expected.  Twice, I made a wrong turn on my way to the lake.  Then, something flew off a landscaping truck and hit my car.  I finally arrived at the lake and found out that I was swimmer #13.

Do you see where this is going yet?

There were very few swimmers at the lake since Ironman Princeton was in town. I thought there would be more people looking to get a last minute OWS in, but I was wrong.  Something didn't "feel" right and I can't put my finger on exactly what it was.  It just felt strange at the lake.

I got my wetsuit on and headed into the water...BRRR, it was cold! I put my face in and started swimming.  I was surprised at how difficult exhaling was because of the cold water. The wetsuit kept my body nice and warm, but my hands and feet NEVER warmed up.  In fact, the longer I stayed in, the colder they felt.  I finished my 1.5 mile swim and came out of the lake hobbling with no sensation left in my feet. Yes, they were that cold! A woman on shore said it was her worst swim of the season because of the water temperature.  Another man came out and commented that the water was much colder this week than the week before.  So it wasn't just my imagination.

I decided right then and there that I would not be signing up for Escape the Cape triathlon, even though it's a bucket list race.

Escape the Cape is a triathlon (sprint or international distance) where you jump off the Cape May ferry boat and swim back to shore.  Since the event takes place in Mid June and is in the ocean, I estimate the water temps should be around 60 degrees.  And that my friends is way too cold for me, especially at this stage of the game.  I would feel better about it if I had a bit more experience under my belt.  Everyone I've spoken to whose done the race has told me its simply fabulous.  So someday I'll get my shot at Escape the Cape...someday!

JERSEY GIRL vs. IRON GIRL - A TRIATHLON SHOWDOWN

So I've heard several comments from participants that Iron Girl was not as "beginner friendly" as Jersey Girl.  This is true.  I've also heard that Iron Girl wasn't as "safe" as Jersey Girl. This I can't say is true because I don't know exactly what their referring to in regards to safety.  Having participated in both events, I'd like to throw a few comments out there.

Yes, Iron Girl isn't as beginner friendly as Jersey Girl.  There is no denying that.  But in Iron Girls defense, they don't advertise their triathlon as "beginner friendly".

The swim at Jersey Girl is 300 yards in the ocean and they allow the use of swim noodles. They provide a lot of lifeguard support as well as swim angels. If your new to triathlon and feeling nervous, anxious or plain old scared, you can request a swim angel to motivate and guide you through the swim course.  Jersey Girl also modifies the direction of the swim course so that your swimming with the current, not against it.  Jersey Girl has bicycle mechanics before the race begins as well as on the bicycle course. Just in case you get a flat and need someone to fix it.

Iron Girl does not provide all of the "extras" that Jersey Girl provides, this is very true. The swim at Iron Girl is 1/3 of a mile long, in the bay. They do not change the direction of the swim course to work with the current.  The direction is what the direction is.  They do provide a lot of lifeguard support, but there are no "swim angels" in the water to help you through the swim.  Swim noodles are not allowed.  Iron Girl provided pre-race bicycle mechanics, but as far as I could tell, there were no mechanics on the bike course to change flat tires.  If you get a flat tire, you better know how to change it yourself.

But does this mean that one race is "better" than the other?  Well, that's a tough one to answer.  I think it comes down to what type of race YOU are looking for.  Do you need/want a race that is very beginner friendly, or do you want a race that's a bit more competitive? Only you know the answer to that.

A couple of months before the event, Jersey Girl offered free ocean swim practices at the location where Jersey Girl would be held.  While the swim practices were absolutely fantastic, they were pointless if you didn't show up and take advantage of them!  No one is going to come to your house and beg you to go to open water swim practices. Its completely up to you to make the effort.

And let's not forget that you'll need various equipment and gear to get you through the day.  The financial investment in gear can certainly bring you to your knees.  I don't even want to go there.  Between the cost of equipment, race fees, gas and wear and tear on my car, I spent a small fortune.  But as someone said "this is triathlon".  And my bitching about how much everything costs is going to be saved for another post at a later date.

So if your looking for a beginner-friendly, all female race, give Jersey Girl Triathlon a try.  It really is a great race that is meticulously organized.  In fact, it's such a beginner-friendly race that I'm considering allowing my daughter to do it next year.  As long as she agrees to train for it. I think it would be a good first triathlon experience for her, where as Iron Girl would be too challenging; mainly because of the swim distance.

But if your looking for a female friendly race that's a bit more competitive and self-reliant, definitely give Iron Girl a try.  I found it to be a well-organized race that has a bit of a triathlon edge to it, especially in the arena of competition.  IMO, the swim is what separates these two races the most.

Or, you can do like I did and try both races.  But whatever you do, please take time to practice and prepare for the event. No matter how easy or difficult an event is, it all comes down to respecting the race!

IRON GIRL SANDY HOOK RACE REVIEW 2014

Iron Girl Sandy Hook 2014...a race filled with AWESOMENESS!  Of course there is no such thing as "perfect" and Iron Girl did have a couple of minor flaws. But even with its minor flaws, I still thought it was a great day and a fun race.

This was the first time my daughter Caitlin and I competed as a team. My job was to get us through the 1/3 of a mile swim and the 15 mile bike. Caitlin's job to complete the 3 mile run and secure our finisher medals.

Packet pickup was at a high school in the Highlands and was very well organized. They had a small expo where you could buy Iron Girl gear and gave lectures on course details.  If you wanted to rack your bike the day before, you could.  I decided against racking my bike the day before because of pending thunderstorms and strong wind gusts.

RACE DAY:
Caitlin and I were out the door by 4:00 am and arrived at Sandy Hook by 5:15.  We were directed to one of 3 parking lots and had no issues securing a parking spot. I took my bike and MOST of my gear figuring that after transition was set up, I could go back for the rest.

Bad idea!!! This where things take a turn for NOT so awesome!

With most of my gear in hand, we began our journey from the car to transition. It was dark as night outside and there were absolutely NO lights anywhere along the pathways.  The walkways varied between old, uneven cobblestones (great for breaking an ankle) and paved roadways with several deep potholes. We're talking big potholes!

At this point, I had NO IDEA how far the walk was from the parking lot to transition.  And let me tell you...it was far...very far...like over a mile away far! Now I'm not complaining about walking, but had I known it was that far I would have NEVER considered leaving anything behind.

So after our long march we finally made it to transition. I set our gear up and dreaded the long walk back to the car, but I had no choice.  And for the record, I wasn't the only one grumbling about the distance between the parking lot and transition. Others made the same mistake as I did. A heads up on Iron Girls FB page would have been greatly appreciated.

SWIM:
The swim heats were broken down by age groups, starting with older women going first and working down to younger women.  Because I was in a relay team, I was in the last swim heat along with the twenty-four and younger crowd. Personally, I was thrilled to be in the last swim heat.

The swim was a straight shot from one beach area to another.  There were 6 buoys lined up in a row and a LOT of lifeguards to support us.  There were lifeguards treading in the water, on paddleboards and in kayaks.  Iron Girl even provided a floating dock.

Iron Girl Sandy Hook Swim Start

Since it was a bay swim, getting into the water was easy...no large waves to contend with.  A wind was blowing off the ocean and the water had a chop to it.  Not huge swells, just choppy.  I took note that we would be swimming against the current. I reminded myself that I had practiced in worse conditions and I needed to keep moving forward.  Stopping and bobbing for too long meant the current would push me back, so I needed to focus on CFP (Continuous Forward Progress).  I was ready for this swim!

I had some anxiety at the start but I got over it quickly.  I stayed on course, counted strokes and sighted.  Several times as I rotated to take in air a wave washed over me and filled my nose and mouth with water. Don't panic, remain calm, blow the water out, continuous forward progress (CFP).

Before I knew it, the swim was done and I actually enjoyed it! It was a little challenging but not overly challenging.  I saw a handful of women struggling during the swim. I think the current and chop took them by surprise. If you hadn't practiced in the ocean, you were definitely in for a surprise. Rule 1: Respect the race!  Rule 2: See rule #1

T1:
Completely uneventful. I did dawdle a bit to wipe the sand off my feet. Why I did this, I still don't know.  Probably because Coach Tom wasn't there to yell at me. I got my cycling shoes on, helmet on, sunglasses on...it was time for the bike course!

BIKE:
The bike course was two loops, out and back.  It was advertised as flat and fast course, which it was (for the most part).  I stayed on the hardest gear, peddled as fast I could.  I wanted to make up as much time as possible.  I noticed most of the cyclists stayed to the right except to pass.  After they passed, they moved to the right again. No one hogged the left side of the road...awesome!

I finally made it to the turn around and let me tell you, that was some narrow turn around! I still can't believe I didn't fall off my bike.  As I headed back in the other direction, the wind was tough. There was a nasty, unrelenting headwind that pressed us back.  Everyone dealt with it the best they could. Suck it up buttercup.

On my second loop, I knew I had to take advantage of the wind at my back so I peddled as hard as possible. After surviving the second turn around, I went into an easier gear and peddled against the wind for the last time.  I knew I was heading to transition and it was Caitlin's turn to finish the race.

IMO the bike course was very nice and scenic. At certain points I forgot about the headwind and simply enjoyed the ride.  It was nice to look around and soak it all in. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the scenery.

T2:
I racked my bike and ran to find Caitlin in the 'Relay Team' area.  I threw the timing chip on her ankle and boom, off she went.

RUN:
Caitlin did the 3 mile run which wound its way around the lower part of Sandy Hook.  Since I wasn't there for the run, I can't comment much about it.  She said the run was flat and nice.  The other women on the course motivated her along and were kind to her in a motherly sort of way.  I saw her heading for the finish line and made sure I was there to video tape her.

She threw up her arms when the MC yelled out "Caitlin, you are an Iron Girl"! She was so thrilled to get a personal shout out.

We are Iron Girls!

I saw a decent number of athletes cross the finish line and the mixture of emotions was fantastic! I loved their facial expressions when they heard the MC say their name along with "You are an Iron Girl".  A group of us cheered at the finish line and high fived the athletes as they came through. I lost count of how many happy faces I saw that day but there were a lot.

Iron Girl Sandy Hook was great! The race was well organized and lots of fun.  The volunteers and staff were all very nice.  And, I love competing in all women events.  Somehow I didn't even mind the VERY long walk back to the car.  The pretty medal around my neck made it all worth while.

"We are Iron Girls"!

YOUR DREAMS WON'T MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY

Yes, there is a direct relationship between your happiness and the happiness of those around you.  This becomes especially evident when you decide to set a goal or pursue a dream.  Let me explain:

When setting a goal or pursuing a dream, you may notice certain family and friends suddenly disappear.  Its as if a UFO picked them up and whisked them off to another planet. And some don't vanish completely, but they will make it obvious that they are distancing themselves from you.  Others may develop a sense of jealousy towards you and even find sport in making their jealousy obvious.

But why would family and friends do this? What does this mean or say about you?
 
In short, it means nothing about you but it says a lot about them. You are upsetting them because you decided to follow your dream.  You did something they can't or won't do for themselves.

Maybe they aren't ready for change, or they don't know how to go about change.  Who knows?  But the people who are truly happy for you will be the same people who are truly happy in their day to day lives.  They don't begrudge someone following a dream because they are too busy pursuing their own dreams.  They don't display that awkward passive-aggressive jealousy, because they are too busy pursuing their own dreams.  They don't lash out with petty, hurtful comments because they are too busy pursuing their own dreams. 

In short, they don't have time for negativity and they do everything possible to avoid it.  Once you discover their secret and begin applying it to yourself, it will become easier for YOU to pursue your dreams too! 

So if you have a goal or dream, go after it!!! Don't wait another day, week, month or year. Don't make another excuse, don't look back.  Go after it now. Come up with a plan and begin your journey. Just understand that your dreams won't make everyone happy.

And if your dream upsets someone SO MUCH that they feel the need to part ways with you, let them go. They will only weigh you down and distract you from your dream.  Now is the time for you to stay on course and to journey forward with the positive people.  Sometimes its a matter of saving yourself and that's not being selfish, its being smart!