Girl Power

Remember when I was debating with myself over how I should register for Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas, full or 1/2? Well, after much thought and a very insightful email discussion with Tricia, I registered for the 1/2.  The main reasons:  I don't want the Vegas race to be stressful (hello..it's VEGAS.  It should be about FUN!), and as Tricia pointed out, the Vegas marathon has a pretty strict time limit which I don't want to have to worry about in my very first full.  

So what else did I do?

I registered for Rock 'n Roll Arizona.....for the full. Yes, I registered for my very first marathon.  This will be good for a few reasons.

1.  It's in Arizona in January, and the running weather in AZ in January is right up my alley.

2.  I live here, so no traveling.  My husband can pick me up at the end of the race and wheel me home on a stretcher drive me straight home to my own bath and bed.

3.  I have my support system here, namely my two of my closest friends and running buddies, Monika and Tracey.   They are both planning on running it too, although they are both much faster than me, so I only expect to see them at the start and the finish!


Tracey is our "guru" and main cheerleader.  This will be Tracey's 8th (I think!) marathon (she even did one while pregnant with her second son...she ROCKS).  Tracey is the one that I credit with all my running successes.  She drug me out on a mile run (which was tough for me at the time) about 4 years ago, and hasn't let me stop since.  When I finished RnRSD with a new PR, she was the first person I texted.  And she promptly answered back telling me how proud she was.  I think she was just as excited about my run as I was. That's Tracey...the most genuine and supportive friend you could ask for.

Tracey and I before one of our 1st races together....

Then there is Monika.  One of the most peppy and positive people I have ever met.  She's like a human anti-depressant....you feel happier just being in her orbit.  We leaned on each other a lot through RnRSD and I don't think I would have done as well as I did without her.  And this girl is up for anything.  Wanna try running a 1/2 marathon? "Sure!"  Wanna run a full marathon?  "Why not!?"  She's just not scared of anything....at least not outwardly.  And here's another great thing about Monika:  she can come up with song lyrics to fit ANY situation at the drop of a hat.  She is the soundtrack to our adventures. Top 40, classic rock, obscure 70s hits, bad elevator music....she knows it.

Monika and I after our first race together, Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas 2010

So it will be the three of us hitting the course in January.  Tracey the "Pro" and our steady rock, Monika the Entertainer, and me...the Nervous Nellie of the bunch.  Good times ahead, for sure.  We have some other races planned between now and then, and I know we're going to have a blast.

I scared, excited, and especially nervous about making this jump from 1/2 to full.  I waffle between "Of course, I can do it!" and "Holy hell, what am I thinking?"  Sometimes changing from one to the other in a matter of minutes.

But one thing is certain:  I'm looking forward to taking this BIG step forward in my running with two fantastic women.

Monika, Tracey and Me on the 4th of July