I finished the Keys100 Race in a time that was not my best.  All the books tell you that you will have a bad race that is just how it goes.  This was mine.  It started with me not feeling well the morning of the race.  I had stomach issues and felt flu-ish.  Then they started people in different, “heats” this year.  I came in 25th overall last year but because of my age they stuck me in the fourth heat.

I could not get my watch to work so I did not know how fast I was going and as it turned out I was going way to fast.  Then, my water bottle broke.  I felt my issues piling one after the other.  After 15 miles I started getting a severe stomach upset and ended in the ditch throwing up and mass diarrhoea. I got back on my feet, slowed way down and continued to race.  The nausea never went away it only got worse.

My daughter jumped in to pace me and tried to get me to eat something.  My kidneys had stopped working for over nine hours.  I was still trying to hydrate and slowly could see an end.  The wind was 27-30 mph and almost knocked me off the bridges.

I finally saw the finish line and Spencer and Stacy joined me to my finish.  I learned plenty from this race and am looking for another to run in 12 weeks.

“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.”

~ Richard M. DeVos

I had great, “pushes”.  Surround yourself with optimistic people.  They are your winners.