Seabrook Lucky Trails Half Marathon, Seabrook, TX, March 16, 2024

Race #94

On March 16th I ran Half Marathon #94 in my continued pursuit of Half Marathon #100. I ran this race on our wedding anniversary, trying to keep these bittersweet milestones from getting me down. This race took place in Seabrook, TX, a coastal town about 30 minutes from Houston. As I drove to the race early in the morning, I was able to watch the sunrise, which always helps me to remember that each day is always going to come, whether you are ready for it or not, so you must face it and try to find the beauty in each day instead of the sadness. But as the sun rose in the sky, there were thunderstorms in the distance and I saw lightning flashing across the sky as I drove. This reminded me that as hard as I try each day, I sometimes get ambushed with storms that keep me from moving forward. I was worried that the storms might cause the race to be delayed or cancelled, but once I got to the start of the race, the storms moved on and we were able to start the race. There were lots of analogies going on in my head for my life these last 9 months since Mikie left me, but I must remember that the sun is always going to rise and there will always be storms along the way, but they will always move on to make way for sunny skies. I just have to work hard to enjoy the sunny days sometimes. 

Throughout the race, I thought back to so many incredible memories of our wedding and honeymoon in Fiji. Mikie absolutely loved Matangi Island and we spent our days, lounging in the sun and drinking umbrella drinks, swimming in the ocean, kayaking, snorkeling among the absolutely gorgeous coral reefs around the island, and most of all, just soaking up our love for each other. It was a magical trip that I will never forget.

 

While we were still in Fiji for our honeymoon, we promised each other that we would return to that island, no matter what. Each year as our anniversary approached, we discussed a return trip, but the timing was never right. Life always got in the way. So my advice to you is to never let life get in the way, at least not all the time. Life will always be busy, but you never know how much time you really have with the ones you love. You will always have regrets, I certainly do for my time with Mike, but just make sure that the good times and the happy memories always outweigh the regrets. We had so many beautiful times and amazing memories and above all, we loved each other deeply and we showed each other that love every single day. Life is too short not to give that extra hug or say I Love You one more time. I am so grateful that Mikie and I did that each and every day. In fact, we said I Love You every time we talked, every time we parted and every time we talked on the phone. His last morning, before he left the house, he woke me up (as he did every morning when he left before me), we talked for a few minutes about our day, we kissed and said I Love You. Of course I want more, but I know that I can be sustained for the rest of my life with the love that he gave me while he was here. I love you forever, Mikie ♥️

My time for this race wasn’t too bad considering my limited training and my wonky knee (2:41:18). My next race is the Hapalua Half Marathon in Waikiki, Hawaii in April…please send good vibes for my knee to hold up!