The Next Thing

What do you do when you reach a goal you have been working towards for three years?  How do you find motivation and excitement again for the sport that has become such a huge part of you?  When your life has had a complete makeover and you have to redefine yourself, where do you start?  These are the questions that I have been going round and round with over the last few months, until it hit me.  I will run an ultra in  a place I  have always dreamed of visiting but never thought I would see in my lifetime - Ireland.

Ever since I was a kid, I can remember seeing pictures of the Irish countryside and being mesmerized by the beautiful colors - deep, rich greens bordering blue water.  Throw in a few castles and ruins, and I was hooked.  There has always been a romantic connection with Ireland in my mind.  Yes, there are tons of other countries I would like to visit: Italy for the architecture and art, England for the history, Spain for the culture and beauty of the land..... you get the point.  But, while these places pique my interest, Ireland is the one place that I feel strongly drawn to.

So, when the advertisement for Lost Worlds Racing came across my news feed with this picture -

well, the decision was made before I realized it.  I am racing in Ireland in May of 2014.  Anyone who knows me knows that once a decision is made, it is pretty final.  The rest is just working out the details.  I have always been that way.  The hardest part about doing a 100 miler is deciding to do it.  In my mind, once the decision is made, the race is already complete - then I just have to make it happen.  So that is where I am now - making it happen.  

Luckily, one of my Team in Training friends, Suzanne Brevelle with Avenues To Travel, is a fabulous travel agent and she is handling the details for me.  I am in the process of getting my passport (yet another first for me), and I will be registering for the race in the next few days.  I just have to decide whether I am doing the 50k or 100k.  While I would love to see 62 miles of Irish countryside on foot, I would also like to be mobile for the remainder of the trip.  These are the kinds of decisions I like making!

Click HERE to see why I am so excited about this!!

What am I looking forward to the most?  Sitting around a table at the host hotel with other runners from different countries after the race telling stories and listening to theirs.  Some things create an immediate bond, and running is one of them.  Even though we may have nothing else in common, I have no doubt we will have plenty to talk about!

Happy running y'all!

Edie