Welp it’s race week. We’re 9 months deep into 2024 and Schmitty is just now toeing the line at the Naperville Trails Half Marathon! Now, now…I should extend myself some grace since there was that whole getting wicked sick thing back at the start of the year (further updates on that later this month). I am grateful to be back training and thankful that I have good enough fitness to race. And by race I mean show up, sing the anthem, complete the distance and grab my commemorative medal and race shirt. Taking a moment to channel mental health guru Brene Brown, I will show up on Saturday with my race vulnerability exposed because… “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.” So, yeah. Giddy up.

I love to race locally. Especially races of the distance variety. Just about every small town has a 5k or Turkey Trot but it takes some effort to put on a 10k, half marathon or even marathon. It’s not often that I get to roll out of my own bed, hop in the car and pull up to a half marathon start line within the time it takes to rock out to hype anthem, “Thunderstruck” (ok prolly 2x through). This will be my third Naperville Trails Half Marathon though it’s technically in Wheaton 🤔 and not Naperville. The course runs through the “beautiful” (their words but see pic above) Danada Forest Preserve on a crushed limestone trail, finishing around the horse race track in the grass. I will note that in my two previous efforts the grass was quite tall and rather unkept…so it’s a harrowing, high stepping, ankle twisting last quarter mile.

…often disagree on how they approach their race mornings. But you don’t get through 27 years of marital bliss without knowing how to give your partner their space and to understand how many times they need to visit the loo on race morning without making fun, asking questions or sighing in disgust. Who am I kidding. There is lots of making fun. Of me. Never of her. I said we’ve been married 27 years, yes? I learned a thing or two during that time. We make fun of Schmitty, never of Jen. And I am cool with that. I know what I am about. And I am NOT about soiling my drawers two miles into a race 💩.

I will be following this post up with a proper race report after I’ve crossed the finish (not before…because that would be absurd). Maybe we’ll even get a visit from Jen so she can chat a bit about her run up to this race…her training and balancing it all with a demanding full time professional working gig. And let us know if you have an upcoming event or race that you are prepping for. Or maybe you just recently crossed a finish line and want to talk about it. The good, the bad, the exciting or even the embarrassing 😳. Maybe you’re in need of some encouragement or have a question? Would love to hear about it any of it. And all of it.