This is 40

By | November 24, 2019

That 2019/2009 meme. Still and always smiling

can I just whine for a second? I’m a big country fan and I had the perfect “anthem” when I turned 30. Tim McGraw’s My Next Thirty Years. 

I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

It was great. It was on the heels of two songs I loved in my 20s:  Martina McBride This One’s for the Girls and Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway. They spoke to me.  They were the optimism of our age. I still love them fifteen years later.

So many on 40-quotes and lyrics are depressing. I’m not sad about hitting 40. I love it. My 30s were better than my 20s and I have no doubt my 40s will be even better.  I can’t find anything else that resonates the same way, although I love Garth’s Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old. So I’m going to keep a hold on Tim McGraw for another decade.  There’s something to be hopeful for in his last verse

My next thirty years I’m gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
Figure out just what I’m doing here
In my next thirty years

Anyway…

Usually due to the holidays I end up with a birthweek. Sometimes it turns into a birthmonth. This year with Thanksgiving late, it was more contained – although part of me feels like I kicked off BIRTHDAY on November 3. Had an amazing week celebrating with colleagues, family and friends.

Two amazing friends

Theater with Mom & Bob

Weekly Run Down with Kim and Deborah:

  • never miss a Monday: has become a wonderful habit. It was rainy, raw & gross and not outdoor weather. I hit the gym and went back to one of my favorite Rogue workouts: 300m repeats. A little “ish” on the treadmill as it was just mentally easy to do .19/.06 than .186. It was during this run, although I didn’t realize it until later, that I hit 800 miles run on the year. That was my yearly goal and it was great to hit it ~ 5 weeks early. The workout felt great.

it’s Christmas time in the city

  • Tuesday: colleague’s birthday drinks. Quick gym visit for some rowing, PT and strength training after and a Target run with this great view.
  • Wednesday: speaking of Wendy’s excellent post on meeting other runners, spent a fabulous evening with my dear friends and Skirt Sisters, Darlene and Elizabeth. Running really has brought the best people into my life. Not just running friends. FRIENDS
  • Thursday: return of the office run group. I realized when I looked at Strava I realized we’ve done this loop 15x. And it wasn’t  even our original loop. Nice tradition we had going.
  • Friday: post-work birthday drinks with friends and colleagues.

hanging with Fred

what a beautiful day

Bday eats

  • Saturday: Where have I spent every Saturday morning since June? It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and why would my birthday be any different? I knew I didn’t have time to do the eight miles on the schedule so I brought them donut holes and we set off. I paused the watch at 4 for a celebratory 4.0 birthday miles that included a photo stop with Fred, because how could I not? I then ran to Starbucks for my bday drink for a respectable 10K on the day. Amazing how that feels short/acceptable after marathon training. After a stop home to shower and change, I met Mom & Bob for A Christmas Carol and then drinks at Bookmarks Lounge and dinner at Hudson Malone for a wonderful birthday.
  • Sunday: Race to Deliver. I DNSed. Raw, cold and miserable. I woke up to the heavy rain and went back to sleep after a brief moment of I still have time to get there if I leave now. No shame. I made a donation. Best part of off season is no have to run. There was no way I’d have enjoyed this. It was worse than Lebow. I also had runs on tap for Monday and Tuesday and there’s no way I could run four days in a row.

Plan for the Week:

  • Monday: run with Elizabeth
  • Tuesday: office run group
  • Wednesday: off
  • Thursday: off, drive to Albany so will miss trots here & there
  • Friday: run?
  • Saturday: run with friends? So weird not to type Rogue
  • Sunday: off.

19 thoughts on “This is 40

  1. Liz Dexter

    Happy birthday! Sorry I missed the day, being away has messed with my systems for keeping up. Glad you’ve had a good week and hooray for 10k being just a short trot-round nowadays!

    Reply
  2. Darlene

    So lucky to have met you because you run but became friends for many other reasons.

    I agree, I would have bailed today…so sad that my good friend had to run a MARATHON (Philly) in this weather. Boy, were we lucky 3 weeks ago.

    Some year you will Turkey trot with me.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yes. Running just made the introduction.
      This was about the weather we had for Lebow — I got up and went for that because I love Lebow and it was a Half. I didn’t need this for 9+1, which might have been the only thing to get me out yesterday. Hope your friend had a good run despite the weather.
      Yes.

      Reply
      1. Darlene

        Unfortunately not but she finished. She said the wind the last hour was crazy.

        Reply
  3. Deborah Brooks

    I remember freaking out a bit when I turned 40 and then last week, I turned 50! Life just flies by and you have to embrace it and take it all in. Happy happy birthday to you

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I was a little nervous at 30 because it felt as if that should be a time I have my shit together. By 40? Meh. Happy with my disorganzed shit. Thank yoU! November babies are the best

      Reply
  4. Wendy

    Happy happy birthday!!! I loved my 40s. LOVED. I felt like I really became my own person (if that makes sense) and had a clear vision of who I was. 50 scared the hell out of me and now with 60 breathing down my neck, I’m really scared. Enjoy every day!

    Reply
  5. Zenaida Arroyo

    Happy Birthday! Looks like you had a great one! I also got my free drink my Starbucks. I have another one from Dunkin Donuts but I have till Wednesday to get it.

    Reply
  6. Debbie @ Deb Runs

    It sounds like you’ve had a wonderful month so far celebrating your birthday, and you should! My 40’s were pretty amazing years and my 50’s were just as good. The only thing I don’t like about my 60’s so far is that I seem to get injured much more easily than before…

    Reply
  7. Kim at Running on the Fly

    Glad it’s been an awesome birthday month!! So much celebrating, so many fun times with friends. Oh, and that “little” marathon 😉 YOU have a lot to be celebrating!!

    Reply
  8. Lisa @ Mile by Mile

    Happy birthday! I agree that there is so much to look forward to about your 40s. I am enjoying my late 30s more than my late 20s/early thirties in many ways. Hope you have a great week!

    Reply
  9. Renée

    so so glad you had a great birthday!! and it really has been an amazing month for you! My 40’s were way better than my 30’s and my 50’s started off well but had a bit of a hiccup that I’m sure I’ll be over soon (positive thinking). Life is what you make it and if you intend to make it better than it was, it will be.

    wish we lived closer; I’m glad we met here online but I think in person we’d also get on like a house on fire 🙂

    Reply
  10. Shathiso @thegaboronerunner.com

    Happy Birthday! Haha, about having birthweeks and months! That’s awesome. A few years ago turning 40 was the scariest thing. But now I am looking forward to the new chapter. I won’t say it still doesn’t make me nervous, but I’m ready to embrace it. I let you go first so you can tell me what to watch for when I turn 40 next year, LOL!

    Reply
  11. Marcia

    Enjoy your birth month and this new chapter! Honestly the 40’s might be my favorite decade of all so far. It’s where wisdom and vitality sort of meet and it’s wonderful.
    If there was cold rain involved, I’d totally have DNSd that race as well. Haha!

    Reply
  12. Chocolaterunsjudy

    Are you only up for the day on Thanksgiving? No trots here because also traveling to my parents. I *could* squeeze it in, but it would be hard & rushed & that’s not so much fun.

    Sunday was horrible. I’d signed up for a yoga class (different one than Darlene, much earlier in the day) and canceled it. If my race had been Saturday, it would’ve been a donation too.

    My birthday is a holiday. Everyone else is with their loved ones. So it tends to be somewhat low-key (not to mention the middle of the winter & often awful weather).

    Reply
  13. Coco

    Happy Birthday again! There’s never too many birthday wishes! My 40s were pretty good, and other than a few hot flashes and this year’s treatable health conditions, the 50s haven’t been too bad either. ;-). Maybe Tim Mac Graw isn’t old enough to know how awesome the 40s are, or maybe it’s different for men. 😉

    Reply
  14. Lisa @ TechChick Adventures

    Happy birthday!! Can I rant about the birthday Starbucks drink for a minute? That really irks me that you only get it on your birthday now. It’s not always convenient for me to get mine on my birthday, but I’m sure as heck going to do it! Ok, enough ranting about free stuff, right. haha! 🙂

    Reply

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