My real name? Beth Risdon
On Being Crazy
This other kid and I were voted "craziest" in 8th grade. I remember thinking he was really weird and goofy. I, on the other hand, was a cool kind of crazy. I would take any dare. I would fart in class and blame it on the unfortunate person beside me. I would throw pee on someone if they ticked me off (I only did this once, it wasn't a daily thing). I was kind of funny. I was the president of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee, and I have the t-shirt to prove it.
Today, I am just a 53 year old version of that 8th grader. I still blame my farts on others (mostly my children) and I'll still always choose dare before truth.
Yes, I have to be kind of responsible since I have kids and a mortgage. I can't just throw pee on the postman whenever I feel like it. I have to pretend to play the part of suburban housewife and professional. Even if it kills me.
But, anyone who knows the real me, knows what's really going on inside. Just ask my husband who deals with me on a daily basis. I adore that guy. I'm not sure if I could be married to anyone else.
On Running and Writing
I love to run. I discovered it 11 years ago. Like I do most things, I went from zero to 26.2 miles. No half marathons for me, no running cross country in high school. I just set my mind to it, trained and crossed the finish line. In April 2011, I came back from a hip stress fracture to run the Boston Marathon. I didn't win, but I crossed the same finish line as the winner did. I'm proud of that. And..I did my first Ironman in Florida in 2013 and my second in Boulder in August 2014.
In 2016, my biggest running accomplishment was completing a 6 day stage race - the TransRockies Run. 120 miles, 20,000 feet of climbing. I made it my bitch. In 2017, I'm travelling to Paris for the marathon and am hoping for a PR (3:40) or if my 50 year old body can't hack that, at least a BQ (under 4 hours).
I also love to write. I believe in holding nothing back. I believe in telling the truth. I believe in being real. I'm sure it offends some, but I'm also sure it resonates with more.
On Living
My mantra? Don't let fear hold you down. That's a big time waster. Actually, it's a big life waster.