Don't forget to celebrate

Last month I signed up for the Austin Distance Challenge. It is a series of 5 races- a 10K, a 10mi, 2 half marathons and the final race is a marathon or a half-marathon. I ran race #2 this morning- the 10 miler. At the finish line, I was sore and my calves were screaming in pain. But my heart was soaring! It is a singular happiness that hits me every time I see the finish line of a long race. 

While prepping for a race, I like the days when I am training Tabata style. In its true form, the runner should sprint as fast as possible for 20 seconds, take a 10 second break and repeat up to 8 times. In my interpreted version, I run faster than my steady state pace until I hit a previously determined target (a lamppost, a street corner etc.) and then return to steady state. There's an undeniable sense of accomplishment when you can sustain a greater pace to hit your milestone.

Life's like an infinity-miler. When we get to that ultimate finish line- we don't expect to be cheering. But we are always training to ace this race. So it is up to each of us to find our mini-milestones and remember to create and enjoy our mini-celebrations! After all, don't the best things in life come in small packages? 

Dora.. Out.. Woof..