One Last Skechers Spin...

Thanksgiving Day was my last race for Skechers.  It's been an awesome 4 years with them, and while waiting for the gun to go off I was thinking about how many races, how many marathons, and how many key workouts that was in 4 years (and how many shoes that involved)!

Yea...that was a weekend donate project...4 years is a lot of Skechers, I had a hard time letting go because each one has specific memories 🙊

 And naturally, next question... am I bummed?  Not at all, I'm grateful!! 🙏🏻
I loved my time on the Skechers team.  My rep, Cheyne, was incredible, the brand was supportive through thick & thin, and my favorite part was the teammates I met across the country, ensuring running buddies regardless of what city I find myself in! Not to mention the endless support throughout the years for each other during key training cycles and races.

 I am also kind of looking forward to being a 'free bird'....a big requirement for being sponsored (and rightfully so) is social media presence, posting A LOT - which if I am 100% honest was always rather uncomfortable for me; yet conversely, opened me up in ways I would have never imagined.  If you would have asked me 4 years ago if I would have a blog and such an active Instagram account (*relative, active for me!)  - I would have told you no way🙅.  But, in unintended ways this sponsorship pushed me outside my comfort zone to share more about this journey, the day to day, the emotions.
So who knows, maybe now, I will go back into my shell 😜

As for the shoe situation, I am finding myself needing a more supportive option for about 80% of my mileage due to my ankle issues😕; BUT I do love my Skechers racing flats so I probably will keep racing in those.  It's actually been fun to 'tinker' a bit and try new shoes...right now I am alternating between the NB 860's and Adidas Ultra Boost ST for this cycle.  It helps that Bill the Track Angel owns the local running store, and is very knowledgeable about the foot/shoe. 😜

There are 49 more days left in this cycle, for the Houston Marathon, and I am loving every single minute of it.  I find myself more at peace - mentally and physically - then ever before.  I think sometimes once the storm is over you don't really remember how you made it through...and sometimes you're not even sure if the storm is really over....but one thing you do know is that you aren't the same person who entered it...and I guess that's the whole point of the storm.  Well, that and to help others through the storms they're going through.  In my small way that is what Houston is....trying to provide a little light and love to Mrs. Cyr, who is fighting the worst possible storm right now.

So here's to looking forward to crossing that line January 20th for her... #42cyrs.

The Thanksgiving 1/2 Marathon in Atlanta was a really fun tune-up in the thick of training that went quite well, and felt really well.  So building off that...