January Racing - A mixed Bag

I'm not making resolutions. I know what I need to do to be better physically, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Some of them will get done and some won't but one thing I'm going to try not to do is stress over them. While my daughter and I frequently joke about our use of the slogan, "It Is What It Is", there is a lot to be said for that way of thinking. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to affect change when it will improve something but it is healthy to be able to accept the outcome when nothing else can be done. So with that philosophy in place I'm looking forward to making the best of another year.

I started the racing year with a Resolution Revolution Run at the Richmond Marina in Richmond, California. I read about the race on Twitter when Olympian Alysia Montano posted that she was involved with the race. She is a runner that I admire and looked forward to the possibility of meeting her. I had the chance to meet and talk with her for a minute before the race. She is as personable as she appears to be on social media. I'm glad I did the race even though there were others closer to home. It was a beautiful day in the East Bay.

The area that I ran in was also the site of the "Rosie the Riveter" memorial.

The next race that I planned to run and had actually paid to enter was the Polar Run Dunk in Tracy. I had run it once before. The reason that I didn't run is because of the rain that was falling in addition to the rain that had already fallen. I remembered that the course was all on dirt (mud) and that there were many hills (muddy) and I was honestly reluctant to risk something happening to my knee. It was disappointing but a necessary decision.

Here are some pictures from the ranch showing the standing water we are dealing with.

Between races and rainstorms I just tried to get back to a training routine and by that I just mean running when I could get the motivation and when things weren't aching to much. LOL.

My next race was another type of reunion race; that's what the plan was anyway and for the most part it worked out. I signed up to do a 5K in Visalia, California with the intention of connecting with Dale Valerio Williams one of my former Sierra athletes. We were planning to have dinner Friday and then meet for the race on Saturday. Unfortunately as it often does, Life had other plans. Dale had to work Friday night to prep for an assignment that he had to report for at 4:00 Saturday morning. That made dinner and the race both no-go.

I went to the race and enjoyed it despite the rain and after the race when I was leaving town I texted Dale to say that I was leaving. He called me back soon after and told me that he was just getting on 198 to head home. I had just turned on to 99 so wasn't very far and we agreed to meet for coffee. It was great catching up with Dale and hopefully we'll do a race together another day.

I had considered another race this coming weekend but think I need to try to keep races a couple of weeks apart for now until I'm sure that my knee is stronger.