It's MY Birthday!

Usually, I forget that...

It's true! Most the time my birthday rolls around and I don't realize it until someone reminds me the day before or the subject of birthdays come up or something. I don't think I've always been that way, must be age - you just start forgetting your own birthdays. :)

However, today is my birthday and I am 33! I don't feel that old, most the time I'm told I don't look that old, but I am. So what am I doing for my birthday? No idea! I plan on training with Herman and hopefully eating an insane amount of cheesecake. Cheesecake is my favorite and last year my daughter made me this amazing cheesecake! I can't wait to see what kind of cheesecake she makes me this year. Oh yeah, it don't matter what kind of cheesecake it is...I WILL eat it. 

I've started looking at birthday's as a 'whole' year sort of thing. I'm going to accomplish a, b, and c by the time I turn 33. Know what I mean? 

32 was really good to me. I accomplished so much! I did things I never imagined doing! Went places I'd never been! Let's take a look:

April 2012: Family Trip to Spain!

May 2012: Mad Monk - first mud run obstacle course - in under an hour, with a freezing river!

June 2012: Day trip to Belgium.

July 2012: Spartan Race - jumping over fire! Sure why not!

August 2012: My best friend Jenny came to visit!!! I had a great time showing her around.

September 2012: Ladies Only Sprint Triathlon. I finished 1 minute past my goal. I wanted 1:10.

October 2012: London's Run to the Beat 1/2 marathon, personal record 2:54:37 (while injured...dumb idea)

November 2012: Santa Run.

December 2012: CrossFit Level 1 - PASSED! First body weight dead lift 135 lbs!

January 2013: Had fun celebrating David's 40th Birthday!

February 2013: Just hanging with my kiddo's, enjoying coffee, crazy dogs and got a new beat up car.

March 2013: Cambridge Relay & Reading 1/2 Marathon (my 3rd)
A new personal record of 2:42 - still chasing 2:30.

Reading 1/2:  2:42

April 2013: 1st Marathon. Paris! No official time. Simply Finished.

What an amazing year!!! I just can't get over all the things I experienced, seen and just how much I have changed. I will do a post on that later...but WOW! I am one blessed woman. I truly love my life. Having the motto of "keep pushing" has gotten me so far. If I didn't keep pushing myself to the limits and testing them time and time again I'd never know of all the things I am capable of. Who knew I could do 1/2 this stuff?!!! 

We are far more capable individuals than we ever realize. Don't look at these photos and think for one minute that you couldn't do any of the above, because the truth is you don't know until you TRY. Sure you might fail or you might not get the the 'time' you wanted or reach a specific goal by a certain date...but if you just keep trying you'll succeed on so many levels. 

I wasn't happy with a time of 3:24 for a 1/2 marathon. I'm down to 2:42 now. I'm not happy with not having a finishing time for Paris...so I'll keep chasing it. I'll keep chasing these things down until I succeed. It may take several times, but I refuse to let myself down because within the last year God has shown me that I am truly capable of so much more. 

What are my goals for 33? I've just a few for now:

• To master the Kipping Pull up!
• The Ultra Eagle Competition
• To catch that 2:30 1/2 marathon time
• To get an official marathon time
• To see Dublin Ireland and Germany too!

I've found that having goals and chasing them is a great way to live!

So bring it on 33, I'm ready for ya!!!