With everything going on in the world and life I found I was starting the day in a negative mindset, so after some research I decided to start everyday with a morning meditation followed by some gentle yoga. Typically I would wake up, pick up my phone and start scrolling through instagram followed by turning on the news. So I set a goal of keeping up this practice for 30 days.
After only one week I can already see a difference, so I decided to continue this practice until the end of the year. We will see where I am mentally on January 1st!
I starting a running program with a group called BMT Training and I have been learning so much! This past weekend we had a group run in Winter Park it is so nice to have a change of scene on my runs! Even Richard joined me on my Sunday run (he declined to run 18 miles with me on Saturday).
Next week I have my first 10k race with the group!
Today I travelled to the other side of Orlando for a group run. It was a beautiful park and the weather was perfect. I got 12-13 miles in before most people were awake!
The week before the run was extremely stressful mentally and my back was sore. The drive down to Miami didn’t help as it took almost 6 hours vs. 3.5 hours and I got run off the road. I was not in the best mental state before the race, but I was there and going to run.
I was in coral B, which to my surprise was with the elite athletes! There was a ton of space to warm up and even a restroom. As I watched the other athletes warm up, I thought I probably should as well. It was a fast start and my time was only .16 seconds off the gun time! I held back as much as I could given everyone running with me. Starting that early I had mixed feelings as people were not just passing me they were leaving me in the dust! I think it was good overall as it helped me keep up a good pace.
Aide stations were interesting with this group as I usually walk through and drink my water, they were sprinting through and chugging water then would throw the cups. I don’t know how many times I got hit with a cup!
I finished the race strong, which made me proud. I enjoyed an alcohol free beer and watching others finishing before the drive back up to Orlando.
Sunday I made my second trip down to the Epcot art festival and it turned out to be a great night with some friends. We walked around and had some good food from the booths and finished with listening to some amazing disney broadway performers.
I met Mickey Mouse for the first time They added chalk art throughout the park
I sometimes forget how lovely our little town is. I took a walk this morning to post a package and went for a cup of tea. The city decorates for Christmas (and most holidays) and hosts all sorts of events.
Then I took a walk around a little lake. Everyone I walked said good morning, even the school kids walking to school.
I walked past an older gentleman walking and he asked about my marathon jacket. We chatted for quite a bit about his marathon experiences when he was younger.
The Johnsons 