I will turn 50 this year.  I always found it funny that most women, never like to say their age.  When I meet people, men and women, and as I get to know them more I ask straight out – “how old are you”?  It seems like the most logical of questions.  One that has no malice.  In my mind asking someone their age is simply another opportunity to know someone better.  In many cases, I feel knowing someone’s age helps understand the experiences they have been through and the life they’ve lead.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been “out” and I will ask a woman her age and I’ll get the – um – uh and the occasional outburst from a conversation clinger, you should never ask a woman her age!  Well, why the heck not?  You trying to be someone you’re not?  And then promptly the conversation changes to something more palatable, like politics.  I mean for heavens sakes no one really gives a rats ass.  REALLY they don’t.  So, please feel free to chime in here.

So, let’s get back to me….(kidding!)  I will be 50 this year.  I thought that it would be a good opportunity to do something wonderful.  My mother was Irish/Hungarian.  A very spicy mix.  I’m Irish/Hungarian/Italian – a flat out nuclear explosion fo sho!  So what better way to honor this Irish lass?  Dublin Marathon 2017 – here I come!

Bam baby!  I signed up a couple of weeks ago and have been making plane and hotel reservations, which is another post all in itself.  I’m excited.  I’ve always wanted to go and now I can run and accumulate miles, honor my mother and be a tourist.

Everything is still fresh and new so I have a lot of research to do.  The race takes place in October, about 3 weeks before my actual birthday.  I have gratitude.

Now let’s get down to some real stuff.  I am suffering – and that is the right word – from some back pain.  After the Duralog incident it took about two weeks and I was on the mend – then a more direct pain in my lower back has returned.  I’ve had this for years but it has come back something fierce.  I had an x-ray a few years back for something else but it showed that I had a slight bulging disk.  Not too bad but it was there.  Don’t you hate it when you go to the doctor for one thing but they find “other” things.  It’s like taking your car in for an oil change and the mechanic tells you that you need something else or the car will die.  I’m not worried – I am resolute.  I don’t want to cause damage, but I’m not quitting either.  So, it’s been a little hard.  I’ve done some running.  I’m slowly building up.  I don’t want to blow anything out.  I can intermix with cycling and I’m hitting yoga and weight lifting.  And that’s all I have to say about that…at the moment.  Tiger Balm…is my new friend.

Getting back to age.  Be proud of your age.  For every 50 year old – there is someone who didn’t make it to 50.  There are so many younger people who need solid older people around for mentorship.  Honor the old, they’ve earned the right.

Mileage is still is lacking in numbers.  I had the opportunity to go see my daughter perform her senior college project last weekend.  She is getting a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance.  Yes, I’m proud of her.  She has the balls to go and do what she wanted to do.  I feel that you can be successful in many things and a good start is knowing what you want to do and go get it.   Everything else will fall into place and it never happens the way we think it will.  But maybe therein lies the beauty.

Life at any age is beautiful – even through the pain.  I finished 21.53 with gratitude.  There are 7005.18 lucky leprechauns left to catch with their pot of gold!  Happy Miles to You!