Today's My Birthday - Shout HOOO-Ray!!!

Update Alert!
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I was thinking about my upcoming birthday, and how as I have gotten older, that the gifts aren't really what I look forward to. 
Instead, I like to set goals to reach before my upcoming birthday, and last year the goal in the fitness category that I set was to run nine miles. 
Well, I did that, and more. 
(Go here if you want to read what I mean about the "more").

This year, due to a pulled muscle last fall that set me back training time and instantly added 10 pounds, I knew that even reaching that goal, much less exceeding it as I would like to this year, was a real long shot.    If I could just run 10 miles again, I would feel successful for my birthday fitness goal. 

So Tuesday night, I posted on Facebook my outlook about it all:

I ran 8 miles yesterday...I thought I was gonna die. I was hoping to do 10 miles on Thursday to celebrate my birthday. Can I do It? Should I try? Or am I risking my early death!?

Here are some of the awesome comments that I got: (I removed last names to protect the innocent - and not-so-innocent, haha!)

Tuesday at 10:37pm

Rebecca  - early death. most definitely. are you running away from something? hmmm? because what if ten is just too much...and it catches you. you'll be too tired to get away from whatever animal is that scary.

Tuesday at 10:43pm · .Jenni - go loralee go!!!

i miss running...

Tuesday at 11:24pm · .
Jenny - go....go....go....go....go....go....go.... :)

Tuesday at 11:48pm · .Jennifer -Take a running buddy the miles will fly by!

Yesterday at 6:12am · .Melissa-You can do it!

Yesterday at 6:57am · .Hillevi -YOU ROCK!!!

Yesterday at 7:07am · .Missy -DO IT! You know you can!

Yesterday at 8:41am · .Kristina -DO IT!

Yesterday at 9:18am · .Chad Carey ill do it with ya if you need support.

Yesterday at 9:20am · .Missy -if it weren't pouring down rain tomorrow I'd do it with ya...

Yesterday at 9:22am · .Tammy -Build up to it. You CAN do it though! Go Loralee! ♥

Yesterday at 9:52am · .Wes -"women are more likely to die in the week following their birthdays than in any other week of the year." - Dr. David Phillips, professor of sociology at the UC San Diego. Maybe related to running 10 miles on their birthday? ;-)

Yesterday at 10:04am · .Tammy -NO more b-days for me then! ♥

Yesterday at 10:08am · .Janice -Just get in the car and drive...!!!

Yesterday at 3:57pm · .Loralee -My dilemma is that I am STILL sore from my 8 mile on Tues...don't bounce back like I used to. Might put it off til Friday...

Yesterday at 6:29pm · .Janice  :)) Drive :))

Yesterday at 8:45pm · .Michelle -You're crazy! I'd rather ride a bike than run - too many things jiggle - but if that's what floats your boat - go for it!

Yesterday at 9:26pm · .Heather -go u i think u can:}

Yesterday at 9:38pm · .Mary -You're such a funny guy, Wes.

So, thanks to all of you who provided such great encouragement, how could I not try?   It seemed like if I didn't do it, I would be letting you all down,  as well as myself.  And that was exactly the type of encouragement that I needed.  I still wasn't even sure this morning when I got up if I was really going to do it, but I made a plan, got my head together
(ANY runner - I mean jogger....you can even call me a wogger - will tell you that it's about 80% mental)
and went for it! 
So, thank you, everyone!

Pretty slow time, but here it is:
10.2 miles, 1 hour, 47 minutes, 51 seconds

Yes, I exceeded my goal of 10 miles - by two-tenths of a mile. 
Hey, every little bit, ya know?   

And what a great feeling.

If only I could accomplish my other goals. . . but I still have the rest of the day!

Update:

So later, after my birthday nap and extra blog and FB time, (courtesy of my wonderful hubby who works from home and spoils me whenever he can)

. . . .all of a sudden my good friend and neighbor suddenly just walks in the door!

and right behind her were a bunch of my other good friends.

She had arranged via my wonderful hubby (again!) to kidnapp me.

Where did we go?

Where else, the place that for any special occasion you can get the absolute best desserts in the world, but Gooey's at Dockside, in Coeur d'Alene.

These are some of the desserts that we ate:

And these are the greatest friends in the world!  (My daughter and daughter-in-law included, of course)

Thanks, guys.  Because of you all, it was the perfect ending to a really great day!