In the Blink of an eye

another year has passed. Just 12 months ago I was living my last 24 hours as a 30-something.

Here I am today, on my Birthday Eve as my Mom would say. I managed to get through that first year of my new decade without much ado at all. Forty hit and I didn't shrivel up into an old person after all!!! In fact, it was not that bad. The only time I noticed I was 'old' was when someone asked me my age. Otherwise, guess what, I was the SAME me.

Tomorrow I'll turn 41. Over the past few weeks, as this date approached, I haven't been entirely thrilled with this new number I'd be forced to call myself. And then, something happened. I realized I shared this birthday weekend with an amazing woman whom I admire greatly. She said something to me and it struck me as perfect. Read on.

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I was in my husband's office this morning. On my way out, Mark told me that the woman who heads their wellness program wanted to meet me. She was busy and I had to leave but he said to me, "She wants to know what inspires you."

I've been thinking about that ever since. The answer is both complicated and ridiculously simple.

But first, I would want to ask. "Inspires me to do what? To train nearly every day of my life? To choose to race in endurance sports? To try go faster every time I toe the line in a race?"

Is that what they mean? Because I would answer differently for each of those things.

I'm going to keep it simple though.

As I said, a friend of mine is celebrating her birthday today. She is remarkably tough, strong and clearly very wise. If you know her you will agree with me when I say she has NO intention of letting Her number slow her down. To quote her and join her in her sentiment I will say this, "I will LAUGH in the face of my birthday."

Exactly Kim. Thank you. Thank you for that line because it is EXACTLY one of the things that inspires Me each and every day.

Racing is in my soul. It's been part of me since I can remember. It's what I do. I am a competive person and nobody is Ever going to change that. In some ways, I don't really need inspiration. I'm just driven to do this.

And yet, as this big birthday looms over my head, I am going to choose to Celebrate my age. You know why? Because I am 41 (almost :) ) and I am not really any different than when I was 33. In fact, my 41 year old self could Kick my 33 year old self's butt. {we'll leave out the minor detail that I had two kids were were 3 and 1 and I was pregnant...} I have gotten Faster and Stronger with age and I LOVE that because I did not start from nothing! I started at age 8 and I have worked my tail off to keep myself in this shape. I can go to a race feeling pretty confident that I will have to make others work to beat me. Ha! At 41!!! THAT inspires me. I don't want to let that go. And I don't intend to. I might need a bit more sleep, a few less calories, a little more stretching and all that jazz we hate to admit, but on race day- I am still ME. No matter what my number is.

Again, Thanks Kim!!! Happy Birthday to YOU today !! And tomorrow, I too will LAUGH in the face of my Birthday because age is NOT going to stop me.