HALF ULTRA

"An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 mi)."

Today, I ran a "HALF ULTRA!"  Ok...all you "Ultra" purists....let me explain.  IF I run 13.1 miles, it's called a "Half Marathon" then why wouldn't it be a "Half Ultra" if I ran more than 13.1 miles based on the definition above of what an ULTRAMARATHON is?

So, today, I ran a "Half Ultra!"  16.21 miles.  I started out with a 16 miler on my marathon training schedule in preparation for the 2017 Lincoln (NE) Marathon on May 7, 2017.  Why the additional ".21?" GREAT question.  Let me attempt to explain.

The Cheerleader is running her first ever race, a 5k, on April 15th.  I have been helping her prepare/train for this inaugural event.  I decided I would go the first 1.25 miles of her 1.5 mile training walk/run (which, by the way, she ran a solid mile with walking .25 miles on either end!  WAY.2.GO CHEERLEADER!).  At the time I was going to continue without her, I put in my wireless bluetooth headphones and started on my journey to complete 16 miles. About 2 miles in, my headphones began to indicate to me that the battery was low and they would be shutting off soon.  Since I wasn't too far from home, I decided to loop back to the house, exchange the headphones for the corded variety and off I would go.  After doing so, right at the 3 miles mark (actually the 3.2 mile mark as indicated on the left hand side above), I saw this hawk...just standing on the ground, looking majestic.  I thought what a cool pic this would make.  I took out my phone and somehow, a "Tim error" later, and my run on my watch was not just paused, but "SAVING."  For all you runners out there that track your runs, miles, etc., on your watch, you know that this COULD HAVE completely messed up today's run.  BUT I still had a bit shy of 13 miles to go...and I had to start my watch all over (see the right hand side above).  Here I am, now having to readjust my mileage counter, in my head, so that I ended close to 16 miles.

You know, the "ULTRA" of our lives are pretty similar to my "HALF ULTRA" run today.  We start out doing great...feeling great...and something happens that has the potential to take us "off our game."  We regroup and then *BAM*....something else hits us to get us to quit/give up our plans.  What do we do in situations like that in LIFE?  What do you do when "LIFE HAPPENS" and it isn't how YOU planned it?  We can quit...give up and turn around...OR we can reset and move forward.  

Having a BEST YEAR YET, doesn't mean that we will never experience challenges.  We will have challenges....it is how you respond through the challenge that will determine where you end up!

So, "KEEP RUNNING" through LIFE, regardless of what tries to knock you off course. YOU.HAVE.GOT.THIS.....trust me, I know...I just ran a "HALF ULTRA!"

My 3 things I'm GRATEFUL for today:

• French Press Coffee
• A good book
• Spring..the Season, not the bounce back in my legs! ( I hope I didn't just jinx us for 6 more weeks!)