[Life-Style Forum] Napa Valley: Food, Sweat, and No Tears

Hi there!

Hope you had a great weekend! It was a fun-filled, but tiring weekend in Napa Valley for me because of the Half Marathon event in Calistoga. Here are some of the highlights -

All the shoes I brought for Napa. Pretty light packing, wouldn't you say?

Left to right: Steve Madden Slippers, Jack Purcell Converse, Nike Free Run 2+, Matte Bronze Sandals from Off Broadway Shoes

Nor Cal BFF and I decided to have a late lunch at Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena. We literally ran into my kids and ate lunch on the patio with them. We didn't even know they were there! (Remember, they left before us because we were so slow?)

Standing in front of Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in my "Comfort Uniform" T-shirt and Linen Pants.

Clothes: T-shirt - Gap, Pants - Elan, purchased from Nevaeh Boutique, Shoes - Off Broadway Shoes, Sunglasses - No Name Brand purchased at a boutique in Monterey Bay, CA a couple years ago, Bag - Coach

My shoes close up with my newly pedicured toes before the race! Also, love my linen pants because I HATE to iron, but they still look good, right? Oh and we also had to stop by Starbucks, as you can see from the bag in the background!

The food tasted as good as it looked.

While the kids went to see friends, we took a power nap. We then decided to go to the grocery store to get food for dinner.

Up and about early for race day!

Me with my son and daughter, numbers 2,3, &4!

Me with Nor Cal BFF, number 247. She obviously signed up after us!

Running along the Silverado Trail, it was a nice beautiful route, but unseasonably hot!

Vineyard along the Sliverado Trail.

All done! We were so happy with our medals and T-shirts, even though we were hot and sweaty!

After the race, we showered, had a late lunch, then went to Gott's Roadside because the kids wanted milkshakes!

Happy with their milkshakes (still kids at heart <3). Well earned after running their first half marathon! Congratulations! So proud of them!

Even though the race was difficult, with more heat than expected for this time of year, we all finished the race and were able to celebrate it without out any injuries or tears. We told our stories about the race to each other at lunch, because even though we had gone there together, we all ended up in different places.

As I was running the last 2 - 3 miles, I was hot, sweaty, and tired. I wanted it to just be over, but I had to keep going in order to finish. It seemed like forever and I felt like I would never get there. I knew that I was okay; I had no real pain or injury. I had to just keep my pace and take it, literally, one step at a time. So instead of focusing on my fatigue and the heat, I thought of crossing the finish line and decided to enjoy the beauty of the day and the encouragement shouted from the spectators.

In the end, I finished, and when I saw the finish line, I sprinted (well, I felt like I was) to the end. My son greeted me with a cup of Gatorade and my daughter came over too. I cheered Nor Cal BFF as she came in and got a picture of her crossing the finish line. What a relief and feeling of accomplishment we all felt after completing such a feat! We even started talking about our next race...maybe a half marathon relay?

What are your goals and accomplishments? Have you ever felt like giving up because of situations you weren't anticipating? Don't forget that we are all in this race of life and that you have your own unique experience and reaction to situations. What's important is that you keep your goal in mind. You have people cheering you along the way, people who will meet you at the end, and people that you need to cheer on and encourage until the end.

I hope you had fun! Please leave any comments or suggestions on my blog site. I am trying to catch up on reading the comments left last week and am grateful to those who are leaving kind words and encouragement. My goal is to respond to you all because your comments are truly appreciated!

Thank you for being a part of my journey!

See you later!

Cheryl