40 miles + a few battle scars

Houston Half Marathon

• Houston puts on a great race. There were thousands of volunteers and they all were encouraging and smiling even though they were cold. I love how many people come out and cheer. I high-fived many strangers. There were some great signs (including one that told me to rub JJ Watt's abs for power! and the solar system people)
• I love running seeing so many friends at the expo and on the course. I especially loved hanging out in the starting corral with one of my oldest and awesomest friends, Meredith.
• Having a personal cheering section out on the course makes a huge difference. Bruce told me he would be around mile 9 and as soon as I saw him my spirit lifted up and I ran faster. He made me a big sign that said “Go Bonnie!” with a little bear wearing a Texas A&M hat. Then, he was around mile 13 just before the finish line. Maren was volunteering at the finish line and got to give me my finisher's medal and that was pretty cool.
• I thought it was going to be freezing, but the weather ended up being perfect.
• I missed my goal by 9 minutes. This is not how I planned for the race to turn out. It’s not my worst race, but definitely not my best. I’ve trained hard and smart for this, and my best explanation is that it was an off day. My body crashed around mile 8. My HR went up and my pace slowed down and I needed more walking breaks. My back was hurting. I could feel a migraine coming on around mile 10. After I finished, I felt like I’d been hit by a truck and could hardly move. (Compare this to last weekend when I cycled 30 miles on Saturday morning and ran 10 miles on Sunday morning and bounced back to my normal day like nothing happened) I know that I have a better race in me, so I’m a bit disappointed by my time, but I still crossed the finish line and that is good.
• It's crazy how seeing the finish line can motivate me to run faster. I was in so much pain, but I ran that last mile in and it was solid. As soon as I could see the GRB I wanted to finish. My last mile was one of my fastest miles. Mental toughness is definitely a huge part of endurance running.
• I need new running shoes. I just got these, and they are the same as the ones I’ve run in for years, but this year’s model has changed and I’m getting heal slippage and blisters in places I’ve never had blisters.

Pattison Cycling

My second ride with the SLB club. 

I also enjoyed this ride because Bruce was out in the area on his motorcycle and I saw him twice. We me up at our favorite place for breakfast after - Mamie's Kitchen. Yumm!

First MS150 training ride with SCC

I have a brand new garmin 735xt that I got for Christmas, and I couldn't figure out how to change it to bike mode. I played with it for 15 minutes before it was time to roll out. So I rode in run mode. 

I changed the file to run mode when I downloaded it, or else I would have the worlds fastest marathon. HA!

New Challenge!

I've taken on a new challenge! I registered for the MS150. Holy Moly. 

I think it was meant to happen. The Schlumberger Cycling Club set up a table in the break room and I went over to say hi and ask questions. They handed me a flier and told me to join. Which got me thinking.... "I enjoy riding my bike. Maybe."

Then, another friend posted a bunch of photos from a different MS150 on her facebook and she was such a bad@$$. The only time that I considered myself trained up enough for the MS150 was the year I did my 70.3, but the MS150 was the weekend before the 70.3 and I am not crazy enough to do both two weekends in a row (especially when I was supposed to be tapering!) So, I started thinking about the MS150... Maybe...

I messaged a friend of mine from work knowing that he had done the MS150 in the past to ask him if he was in the SCC and ask him about his training for the MS150. He told me that he was going to convince me to sign up and then told me how he has MS. 

This is what he sent me:

I was diagnosed with MS in February 2015. At first my entire left side was numb, I ignored this thinking it was a pinched nerve and it went away after a week or so. Then a week later my entire left side was numb and tingling like my whole left side had fallen asleep. I couldn't focus at work and could barely sleep, and realized had to do something about it. My mother has MS and at that point I started becoming worried and went to see a neurologist who assured me it is not common for children of people with MS to have MS. I had brain MRI's and spinal fluid removed and tested on my 26th birthday. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with MS. I began taking Copaxone injections 3 times a week, although the current medicine only slows it down. MS is a complicated disease with many unknowns that still require a lot of research.

I was left with a very mild numbness in my left foot. I consider myself very lucky. Since then I have began eating healthier and training harder. I have always been a runner but only ran for fun a few times a week and did the occasional 5k. I am currently at my physical peak setting PRs. I completed the 2018 Texas Half Ironman 70.3  in Galveston and hope to do a few more Half Ironmans next year and the Texas full Ironman in the Woodlands the year after in 2020. I plan to fight MS with all I have, including medication, healthy eating and exercise. My life goal is for my body to be so worn out from training, competing,and living life to the fullest that if someday I require a wheelchair that I would have no regrets and not mind a chance to sit down and rest, haha. Nonetheless I want to fight MS however I can and teach others to fight it the same.

One positive thing MS can teach you is that you never know what tomorrow holds and that you shouldnt wait to achieve your goals. I may wake up tomorrow with any number of symptoms including; partial paralysis, numbness, hearing loss, vision impairment, muscle weakness, tingling sensations, loss of motor skills, and many more. I may wake up just fine for the next 30 years, *fingers crossed*. Therefore I haven't a day to waste! If I want to raise $1,000's of dollars for MS research, complete an Ironman or run the Boston Marathon I had better get started!!!

So, now I'm registered. And, I'm riding for him. 

If you would like to help me raise money for MS, click HERE

Here are a few photos from my first ride outside in almost two years. It is from the SCC Veteran's Day Ride (which is why there are actual ride photos) I especially like the one with the flag. 

NYC Half Marathon

I put my name in the lottery for the NYC Half a few times, but this time they actually picked me!

I was killing time in NYC after the race expo, and I was trying to stay off my feet, so I got a pedicure and painted my nails in the colors of the race. 

I'm so glad that I found the facebook group for the race. I was able to book a seat on the bus from NYC over to Brooklyn where the race started. Here we are waiting for the bus to come. 

My view of Times Square down Broadway at 5am. You can see that Broadway is closed for the race. It's one of only 2X/year that they do this. 

Staying warm on the bus

OMG It was FREEZING. 28°

I made a new friend huddling up to stay warm. This is Noelle!

Woohoo! Finished!

I'm home. The couple that recovers together stays together. 

Medal Monday

Making new friends

My teammate, Michelle, found this post in a private facebook group and sent it to me. Since then, I have connected with the woman who wrote it and we have become facebook friends. She lives in town, so we plan to get together for some much deserved margaritas!

I remember standing next to her on the pier before there race began. I noticed that she had painted her nails to match her tri suit just as I had. We chatted some and it turns out that both of us raced our first triathlon less than a year ago and it was the same race.

"The swim start was in my top three favorite moments of the entire day. I gathered with my fellow pink caps and we all stood around smiling and trying not to puke on ourselves. I met so many amazing women standing on that dock, but only one name stuck in my head - Bonnie. I had people compliment my kit and ask me how many races I'd done. I had people assure me it was going to be amazing. I had people ask me where I was from and how long I'd been training and what my goal was. But as we left dry land and walked onto that dock, Bonnie and her friend were holding hands and walking in solidarity down that dock to face the day. Fears, dreams, doubts - I don't know what they were facing, but they were doing it together. I smiled at them and said I wished I had somebody to hold my hand. Without hesitating, they let go of each other and each reached for my hands. And here I was, walking hand in hand with two strangers to the water's edge to tackle the most incredible challenge I'd ever laid before myself. In that moment, all of my fears and apprehension and anxiety and doubt washed away and I knew it was going to be ok."

Update: A month later we all met up again at the finish line of IMTX to celebrate Crystal's becoming an Ironman!