Medals4Mettle: Another Year!

If you haven't read my first blog on Medals4Mettle, then I suspect you should get to clicky clicky byotches!  Just saying.  It's a good read and a lot of information that I'm not going to repeat here.

Okay, I'll repeat some.

Medals4Mettle is a complete volunteer run organization that collects runner's medals and "donated to those who are battling serious and debilitating illnesses and who have demonstrated similar courage and mettle in fighting those illnesses."

 In short, these medals are going to a new home.  To someone I do not know who has had a much different journey than I have had to battle personally.  Got it?  Good.

These medals right here are a lot of missed opportunities of some great stories that I haven't shared with many.  Like that one time I ran a half marathon on two hours of sleep and totally tipsy!  LOL!  Nawl fam, I was still drunk!  😂

Oh wait!  There's two medals that represent times I was under the influence of late night adult beverages.  There was that time I waited and waited in Vegas for Whiz Khalifa to show up and the drinks kept flowing until about 4 in the morning!  Yup and I got up at 6 am and headed off to the Six Tunnels to Hoover Dam Trail Half Marathon.  "Y'all ready for Whiz!??!?!🙌💥👏👀

There's even a video I made.  Forgot all about that night / morning.

Then there's the Lost Dutchman run that was six miles on the trails in the rain before 20 miles of wet coldness!  Talk about a tough marathon.  That one had me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  That one hurt so terrible good.  

The Jacksonville half was a surprise to me.  Was in the middle of training for my first 100K and was on the road for work.  Needed to get a long run in, so what do I do?  Get up early.  Go run the fastest half marathon I've ever ran (still my PR).  Took a couple of pics, saw an unsuspecting acquaintance at the finish.  Swiftly went off to clean up and go to work.  Yup, I ran a half marathon and went to work afterwards.  Still brings a smile to my face.  😃

The beautiful Estes Park run is one for the books.  If any of you runners out there have an opportunity to run this course, do so with an oxygen mask.  LOL!  And watch out for the Devil's gulch around mile 5-6.  There is hell to pay and you will pay!

The Run Revel was another last minute opportunity that I didn't know I would have, but took advantage of.  Another beautiful run at altitude that is 98% downhill.  That 2%?  Yeah, be ready for it.  Will tear you will and your dignity apart.  

I'm hoping I'll be able to drop these off to a local chapter during my current business travels.  If not, there are still memories that I'll cherish and I hope that my efforts bring a smile to someone's face who has had a tough time battling their illness and get to ring the bell as they clear their final mile.