Back in January our kids went to ski/snowboarding camp that was put together by Riding on Insulin. Kids and a blast I wrote about our experience in this post. We were really inspired by staff and volunteers of ROI. It was then and there that I decided that I absolutely needed to get involved with RIO somehow. I did so by becoming a Global Athlete so that I can fundraise for ROI to keep the programs going.
ROI has a thriving endurance team. It is comprised of Type 1’s and other Type 3’s (friends and family of Type 1’s). Most of the people train for Ironman races. Now, I am definitely not cut out for Ironman for many reasons, but I can run a little.
And I am crazy inspired by anyone who does an Ironman. Fortunately, I did not have to sign up for Ironman (or any triathlon, actually) to become part of ROI endurance team. As a Global Athlete, I can stick to running. I’ve made a commitment to run at least three races and raise at least $1500 by the end of this year.
It’s interesting how things work out sometimes. Prior to January camp, I’d been on a racing hiatus. I experienced a major training burnout while preparing for New York Marathon in 2014, and after I completed it I took a break. I kept running but went for over a year without doing a race. My decision to fundraise for ROI kicked me out of my complacency and abruptly ended my hiatus. We came back from ROI camp on Sunday evening; I was enrolled as a Global Athlete and signed up for a race by following Tuesday afternoon. I was one of those things that just felt right.
I decided to stick to half-marathons because I am not yet ready to do another full marathon (though I think I might have one more left in me.) It seemed challenging enough anyway given my hiatus, and that even prior to it I was typically doing only two races per year. My training and fundraising took off.
In March, I completed my first of three – San Diego Half Marathon.
Yesterday, I completed my second of three – San Diego Rock-N-Roll Half Marathon.
Actually, our family completed a little triathlon of sorts: all except for my hubby had races yesterday. V had swim meet, her brother had BMX race, and I ran my half. We had to do some crazy juggling to get everyone to their events but we pulled it off.
My third race is TBD in the fall. I have not made up my mind yet. So many good options out there!
Of course I have to close out with the link to my fundraising page, if you are so inclined to support my fundraising. No amount is too small, every dollar is appreciated, and you know that your donations will go directly toward awesome adventure sports camps for T1D kids. We can’t wait for our next one!
T1D and Gluten-Free 