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Making Memories and Facing Fear
What a weekend! Arielle and I completed a 15K! My head is still spinning from all the excitement. My legs are happy I’m taking the day off from running. My stomach’s happy because I’ve been celebrating since the 15K and making up for all the calories I burned. And my heart is very happy that I was able to share in a memorable weekend with my daughter.
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Couch To 15K: What did I get myself into?
What was I thinking, has been my mantra for the past few weeks. One morning, last month, I guess my coffee was a little too strong, or the sun may have been shining a little too bright, but I heard myself asking Arielle if she wanted me to run the Gasparilla 15K with her. Now, I’ve been to this race many times. Arielle began participating in it back when she was in middle school. Eric joined her. I remember seeing my husband’s face after he crossed the finish line. Pure exhaustion sprinkled with pain. I always felt it was a bit insane to get up before dawn to run 9.3…
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Gasparilla 15K
Gasparilla 15K! The Gasparilla 15K is a special race to us because it was there, years ago, where Arielle first met her coach Adam Bleakney and his University of Illinois wheelchair racing team. Arielle was in middle school, new to wheelchair racing, and suddenly she was meeting elite athletes. Arielle become inspired, set her sights on attending the University of Illinois, and to one day train with Adam. She achieved that goal and now she’s practicing twice a day to prepare for the Los Angeles and Boston Marathons. Before The Race I picked Arielle up at the airport on Friday evening and we drove straight to Tampa. She was happy to leave behind the freezing weather in Illinois for a sunny…
