February 11, 2011 Run for Chocolate, Dallas, Texas

http://www.hotchocolate15k.com/dallas/

I have discovered that there are three things that will get me to run: medals, beer, and chocolate.

So, in light of this, a group of friends and I decided last November that we would all sign up to "run for chocolate." It's probably a good time to point out that this group of friends is my "Biggest Loser" group, and we have completed many weight loss rounds together over the past two years. I even won one of them and a pretty good chunk of change (over 400 bucks).

Nevertheless, we signed up, since there was a great online coupon for a sizeable discount to register, and, in lieu of a finisher's medal, each registrant received a cute Hot Chocolate 15K/5K windbreaker. Add to the mix a chocolate fondue at the finish line and some Ghiradelli hot chocolate with marshmallows, and packets of the candy given out to finishers as well, and there was no way we were NOT gonna be a part of this!

We booked hotels and made ride arrangement for the trek to Dallas, and one member of our group even flew in from Colorado to join us on the run. However, this being winter and this being Texas, the weather often changes as much as 50-60 degrees on any given day. Sure enough, the morning of the event, an "Urgent" weather update was sent out to all registered participants with the following information:

URGENT WEATHER UPDATE

Due to the last minute drop in temperature overnight, the race Medical Director is recommending increased caution while running.
We strongly encourage that 15K participants running 12 minutes per mile or slower switch to the 5K distance to limit the risk of cold exposure and hypothermia.
Those 15K runners will receive accurate race results at the 5K distance, without penalty.
We will be updating the weather on Facebook and Twitter as well as sending out additional e-mails if there are any more changes in the weather.
        
 Sincerely,
 Dr. Larry Iteld
 Medical Director

The reality was that it was 16 degrees. Of the 10 of us who had travelled together to do the race, nine of us switched over to the 5K. There was no medal to be had, and we had already picked up our windbreakers, so no harm, no foul.  We dressed as warmly as we could, headed down to the hotel lobby to get in the Starbucks line, grabbed our coffee and then headed over to the light rail transportation we'd have to take to get to the starting line at Fair Park.

The race was filled with 10,000 runners, and it looked like the majority of them had come to do the race. There was a guy who showed up to run with no shirt, and another who came to run barefoot. Brrrrrrrrr........

As for those in our group? We ran, we toughed it out through the cold and wind, and we had a great time afterwards eating the fondue and drinking the hot chocolate and laughing together about it all.

My next event will be a half marathon in New Orleans in a few weeks, and the week after that, I am signed up for an adventure race in Austin.

Run on!!!

                          Beautiful Dallas sunrise at the chilly start of the race.

                                     A few of us before the start.............

                                               Testosterone craziness......

   Running barefoot in 16 degrees?? Not me, and I don't care who wrote the book or how much
   research backed it up!

                             Just before running across the timing mat at the starting line...

        DPD motorcycle cops dressed to brave the elements and do some traffic control along the route.

              I was amazed and thrilled to see so many young kids running the event with a parent! Here, mother and daughter....

                               ...and here, father and daughter...how cool!

                                             The finish line............

                                                       The fondue volunteers.............

                                         Liquid heaven...............

                                  The fondue finisher's "medal".

"There are only two options regarding commitment: You're either in or you're out. There's no such thing as life in between." ~Anonymous

I live a crazy life. It's hectic, it's fast-paced, and it's never boring.

My life as an "athlete" started back in 2000 when I was 41 years old (aside from being on my high school swim team for three years). A chance meeting at the gym with a woman who is now a friend of mine led me down the path to triathlons and half marathons. A couple of years later, I also became a coach at the junior high level. I coached cross country, powerlifting, and track, and later on became the assistant coach for the high school swim team for a few years as well. I figured out pretty quickly that if I were to have any credibility with the kids I coached that I would have to ante up and get out there and show them that if I could do it, then they could do it as well. I took a course and became a certified sports performance coach, and I also started lifting weights on a regular basis. This has been my salvation throughout the past 10 years.

I did my first sprint distance triathlon on July 30th, 2000 in Temple, Texas. Since then, I have completed over 55 events: half marathons, sprint distance triathlons, 5K's, bicycling events, and a few adventure races. I have competed in eight states so far: Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Tennessee, Georgia, and Washington.  I have met some of the most excellent people and have cemented fast friendships. I have managed to get nearly my entire family (mom, sisters, sons, and a cousin) into entering athletic events, and I am proud to say that last September, my 77 year old mother came in second place in her age group (77-79) in the Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half Marathon. She got a beautiful trophy in the shape of the Liberty Bell and was pretty excited that in that event, she had cut more than 30 minutes off of her time from a previous half marathon. How awesome is that?

I have also managed to drag more than a few friends into doing these events with me. We have the best time! Life has been pretty good to me, and there is no feeling like the one you get when someone tells you that you have changed their life. I owe it all to that chance meeting in the gym way back in April of 2000.....I have never looked back, and my life has been forever changed.

Till next time.....

Keep moving!

Jill

                                                             SWIM.....

                                                                     BIKE..............

                                                                        Run.....

                                                        The Finish Line

          Me crossing the finish line at HEB Sprint of Texas Triathlon in Temple, Texas, July 30th, 2000