Well hello again, everyone! It's been a while since I've posted, and I alluded in my Ironman post about training with Up & Running Again. If we're Facebook friends, you've probably seen that training for the OC Half Marathon has begun!
It's already been such a blessing to run with the team at the Orange County Rescue Mission. I've learned so much about where they came from, their faith, and what motivates them to run. Honestly, these first-time runners training for their first half marathon are more inspiring to me than the thought of completing my first Ironman.
Speaking of triathlons... I've been wrestling over the fact that I signed up for Wildflower again. (It got the best of me last year, and I want my revenge!!) Why is this a problem, you ask? Well, Wildflower is the day before the OC Half Marathon. Yes, it's technically possible to do a 6-7 hour race, pack up our tent, drive home, then get up early and run a half marathon. But first of all, that would take a LOT of energy. And also, racing and then leaving is not what the Wildflower experience is about. So, I decided to wait until next year.
Selfishly, I'm really sad about not getting to race Wildflower. But I'm also relieved. Now I will have more time to focus towards helping with Up & Running Again. As I said in my Ironman post, I didn't really do a great job fundraising during training, but now that I have more time, I really want to get more involved and raise more money for them.
I want this year to be about helping others, and also working on myself. You can't help others heal until you've been healed… As part of my process, for the last 8 months, I've been going to a program called Celebrate Recovery, and have been involved in a step study since October 2013.
My blog title is "Bless My Addiction." And I'm not just talking about the addiction of triathlon. One of the main reasons I chose Up & Running Again as my fundraising charity is that I can identify with a lot of the people in the program. And while I may never have hit "rock bottom" to the extent that many of them have, I do struggle with a desire to abuse alcohol, and I have not always been successful in overcoming this temptation. I've avoided talking about this in the past, but it's no big secret and it's a very important part of my story. I believe that God can use my past to work through me, to help others.
I'm excited to see what will come out of my involvement with Up & Running Again. I'll continue to post updates on my Facebook page, as well as this blog. In the meantime, check out Up & Running Again's Facebook page, and visit this page if you'd like to make a donation (scroll down and look for my picture). Thank you for allowing me to share a small part of my story.
