Running Serendipitously

Serendipity.

It's a million dollar word. Luck. Unexpected pleasures. Good fortune. Dodging a bullet. Finding a silver lining. Dumb luck. A happy accident. Whatever serendipity means to you, these happenstances are the moments that you savor. There is nothing better than having something wonderful happen to you when you least expect it. What a happy word for this week's Wednesday Word prompt!

Serendipity is reading the signs.

A few years ago, my employer sponsored an Instagram contest to win a free entry into the Chicago Marathon. This was a race I ran 3 years before, crashed and burned, and vowed never to run again. I viewed the contest as a sign as a chance to redeem myself. If I won an entry, I promised myself I'd run the race I knew I had in me. I found out 14 weeks before the race that I was a winner. My coach didn't blink an eye, shifted gears with my training, and trained me for a huge PR.

Kind of a segue from the last post...
Sometimes the signs aren't as obvious as this one...but I took advantage of their offer and used their bathroom...

"I think we make our own decisions. I just think that fate sends us little signs, and it's how we read the signs that determines whether we're happy or not." -John Cusack in Serendipity

Serendipity is knowledge that you dodged a bullet.

Finding my coach? That happened because I listened to my gut and walked away from an unsettling interview with a running coach. The running coach came highly recommended to me, but as we talked it was clear that her philosophy of training did not coincide with mine. That instinct to keep looking sent me to my friends who own the local CrossFit box, who introduced me to the amazing Becky, who kept me running but worked on my foundation. And put some youth back into these aging legs. She also made my training a ton of fun and threw some confidence my way.

This is marathon training. Yep.

"Sometimes you gotta say 'what the f**k'. Make your move."- Tom Cruise in Risky Business

Serendipity could mean finding a silver lining in an unfortunate situation.

One year ago I was all set to head to Florida to run the Sarasota Half Marathon. My oldest son decided to get himself in some trouble, and I knew I couldn't leave. Sad but determined, I found a local half marathon scheduled on the same day as the Florida race and signed up. Not only did I have a fun day with my friend Sara, I crushed the race, setting a new PR for myself and finishing 2d place in my AG. I would never have run this race otherwise. Since the Sarasota RD let me defer my entry, I'm heading down to Florida next week to finally run this race that has been on my bucket list for several years.

Silver lining on a rainy day? Having the whole lake path to myself.

"You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest and if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining."- Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook

Serendipity is luck. Sometimes dumb luck. Maybe you just stumble into good fortune. Literally. 

I joke that I live life by the seat of my pants and follow my gut. I've never been much of a planner because it seems like when I do make plans, things don't generally turn out as I hoped. With the exception of marathons, I don't usually commit far in advance to races for fear of injury or life situations. That half marathon I ran last fall is a perfect example. I signed up the week of the race with no expectations. I just wanted to run. While I wouldn't recommend deciding on a long distance race at the last minute, I was banking on some residual fitness from my Chicago Marathon training. This was my second fastest half marathon ever. I felt so good, I was smiling almost the entire race.

At the finish line. Look at that smile!

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."-Woody Allen

Serendipity is a happy accident.

Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes we don't understand those reasons. But things always seem to work out for the best. I was so disappointed that I couldn't connect with any of the myriad of friends I knew were running last fall's Chicago Marathon. The logistics at such a big race are crazy! So even though there were tons of people there, I didn't see anyone I knew. I finished up the race, sat down to drink my post-race beer and savor a great race. I received a text from my oldest son, who was there looking for me. Completely unexpected. How lucky is that?

"There are no mistakes, just happy accidents."- Bob Ross, artist

What does serendipity mean to you? Do you consider yourself a lucky person? Unlucky?

I'm linking up with DebRuns and her Wednesday Word blog prompt. This one was a bit of a challenge! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else says. What a great word!