Ooops. I forgot to mention on the blog that I ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon today :) I am working on the video to complete that recap. So here’s what happened the day before (Saturday!) for now!

So many great bloggers were in town for the Disney Princess Half Marathon so a meetup was definitely in order. We had about 20 people at Pizza Fusion, an earth-friendly and vegan-friendly pizza place.

I love hanging out with people so passionate about health and fitness. Just check out those smiles! I was too busy talking to look at the menu, so Katy W. saved me when I copied her order. I got the Farmers’ Market personal pizza on multigrain crust. I also subbed cheese for eggplant. 

It sure is pretty! Tood bad I wasn’t in love with the taste. The crust was pretty dry and lacked flavor. The roasted veggies were good, but there was something missing from the pizza. Still, I managed to clear my plate!

Healthy homemade goodies are a fun part of blogger meetups! Lindsey brought some of her famous cookies and Ryan shared some of her raw vegan macaroons. Yum! Thanks ladies!

  I wish all these girls lived in Orlando. They’re so fun!

  Pizza Fusion is one minute away from Whole Foods… obviously we couldn’t resist! After having a cold for five days and a flu for two days, I was excited to get a fresh-squeezed juice with the group.

I got my regular (kale, spinach, apple, carrot, beet, ginger) but the barista added way too much ginger! It buuuuuurned going down! Leslie ordered the same thing. I felt bad for recommending the sushi-in-a-glass! ;)

After the blogger fun I spent some time at the expo. I loved all the women here! Everyone was so excited for the next day’s race.

I wasn’t hungry for dinner but I picked up an assortment from the Whole Foods hot bar anyway. You gotta eat the night before a race! I’m going to work on my video now. I’m so excited to share another race recap with you! Be sure to check out my Gasparilla Marathon Recap if you missed it!

Do you enjoy race expos? Do you go to the local ones even if you’re not running?

This was my slowest marathon (and the only I had to walk a considerable part of the race), but it will always be one of the best.

The night before the Gasparilla Marathon Meghann called me and volunteered to pace me through the race and get me to the finish line under my 4:45 goal. I was thrilled to have her and it definitely got me more hyped about the race.

I had been sick for the past few days and tried tons of natural remedies. On race morning I was feeling better, but definitely still under the weather.

Meghann, Derek, Melissa and I headed to the race start together. Melissa ran the 15k and 5k the day before with Meghann and spontaneously decided to run the first 7 miles of the marathon with us!

I was sad to see Melissa go!

Two years ago I ran the Gasparilla 5k (pre-blog) and last year I ran the Gasparilla half marathon. This year it was fun to take the marathon course!

The first 14 miles went really well. Meghann challenged me to keep a fast pace and she kept it fun! I lived in South Tampa for a year and worked there for three so it was neat to run in my old home. Those roads will always hold a special place in my heart!

At mile 14 the sickness I had been fighting hit me. My stomach went nauseas and I felt dizzy. I tried to fight it, but more and more often I was telling Meghann we needed walking breaks.

Meghann and I slowed down our pace to try to accommodate my body. Unfortunately my body had other plans and said no. I forced Meghann to go on in hopes that I could take a break, refocus and trek on to a decent finish time.

Meghann didn’t want to give up on me but I finally convinced her to run fast ahead ;) I visited the restroom and stretched out my body. My stomach was killing me and I felt like I was going to pass out.

Discouraged by my pain I reluctantly rejoined the runners with a slow jog.

Nope. My body didn’t like that either.

The next several minutes were filled with short jogs, walking and complete stops. I had never had my body rebel so much. It was tired and sick and telling me loud and clear it did not want to run another 10+ miles.

I cried. I wasn’t thrilled with my finish at the Disney Marathon and I was hoping this one would make up for it. Instead my body rebelled and a sickness I couldn’t get rid of was trying to take away this race. I felt helpless. I thought of quitting.

Stepping aside and being escorted to the finish line seemed like the only reasonable option. After all, my body was working against me and it was not even an option to endure walking more than 10 miles.

Then I thought of what I’d feel after doing that. Quitting just because the situation wasn’t going my way? No siree! I work so hard to spread a message of positivity through this blog. I needed to choose happiness in that situation, no matter how hard (or long) the choice was.

So I walked. I talked to two guys walking behind me. Turns out it was their first marathon and they had only run one time before- a 2.5 mile run! Those guys were fun. My belly didn’t hurt so much.

Then I started talking to Andrea, another first-timer who was walking near me. She and I became instant friends. We even keep in touch with Facebook now! We talked about dogs and running and her job as a nurse. We finished the rest of the race together!

I stopped at all aid stations and thanked the volunteers for making it possible for me to do the race. It turns out a lot of volunteers are runners themselves! Normally I run past them with little more than a quick “thanks!”

The last few miles were the best. So many runners get discouraged and tired and walk the last few miles. I’d been through it before so I encouraged many of them to join Andrea in me in jogging for a few minutes at a time. It was incredible having a small group of struggling runners all pushing one another closer to the finish line. Loved those new friends.

Before I knew it we were almost to the finish line! Walking 10 miles wasn’t bad at all when I was having so much fun! Then I spotted Melissa running toward us! It was incredible to see a familiar face! Melissa ran the last mile or so with me!

I finished the marathon with the biggest smile on my face at 5:38:44. I was sick and almost quit, but instead I had a fun and meaningful race. And I completed my 3rd marathon in 3 months! PR or not, choosing happiness at mile 15 of a tough 26.2 mile race is something to be proud of.

So next time you’re faced with something big, think of the worst thing that could happen. It’s probably not that bad and probably won’t happen. But, if it does happen, remember you can always choose happiness and make the best of the situation. And in the end that’s all that really matters anyway.Thank you Meghann and Melissa for all of your encouragement! And thanks Meghann for letting me steal all your photos!

Have any of your toughest moments turned out to be your greatest?

What a marathon, what a marathon!!

I finished almost a full hour later than my goal time and 41 minutes later than my first marathon… but it was awesome!

Confusing?

Here’s how my emotions went down throughout the race:

Excited. Determined. Sick. Depressed. Contemplative. Positive. Encouraging. Proud.

I wanted so badly to finally recap the whole race and share how incredible shifting my mindset was… but I’m still sick and apparently too weak to put together a real post. So please excuse me as I wipe the snot from my keyboard, head to bed with two warm puppies and hope for a healthier healthy ashley tomorrow.

Thank you everyone for your support!!! Your comments on this blog and all the tweets that came in before, during and after the race were incredibly encouraging. I think about each one of them when the going gets tough! Thank you!

Sure, I’m sick. But that doesn’t mean I want to swallow brightly-colored pills filled with who-knows-what. I’m determined to get better in time for Sunday’s marathon- and to do it naturally.

I tried to go to yoga this morning. That wasn’t a good idea. My body was so weak that I couldn’t even hang in ragdoll or do anything without feeling like I was going to pass out. It was rough but I’m glad I at least tried!

After yoga I headed to Ryan’s house where she prepared me an amazing smoothie and raw meal. It was to-die-for, really… but you’ll have to wait for the photos since I forgot my camera ;) The healthy food and good conversation made me feel tons better. Sometimes good friends can be like therapy… and I believe a positive attitude can change my health, too.

On the way home I stopped by Whole Foods for my own anti-sick kit.

- O.N.E. Coconut Water (hello, electrolytes!)

- Echinacea and Gypsy Cold Care Herbal Tea

- Quick Defense (I really hope this helps because it sounds amazing!)

- Lots and lots of water!!!

For good measure I also took two spoonfuls of  bee pollen. I eat mine with applesauce to dull the distinct flavor of bee pollen.

The last ten miles of my last marathon were extra challenging because I severely lacked a game plan. I was unprepared for the last miles. As a result I “checked out” and walked (when I could have run). I still regret that so I am making sure this weekend’s marathon is different.

I wrote out my goal and my game plan to get there. I will run the marathon in 4:45, essentially. My main focus is to push even when I’m tried. The last miles of a marathon are a mental battle and I need to be prepared. I wrote out the below to be testament. I’ll be sure to review it plenty before the race! After all, there’s no time like the present- I am going to push hard and be proud!

I expect to blog before the race. If not, you can track me here. My full name is Ashley Sickles. Happy running!

What natural methods do you use when you’re sick?

Do you play any mind tricks for your challenging events?