Daily writing prompt

When is the last time you took a risk? How did it work out?

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According to Merriam-Webster, a risk means “possibility of loss or injury” or “someone or something that creates or suggests a hazard.”

I suppose then, the last time I took a risk was when I recently did a five mile race that I hadn’t trained for. I had signed up for it last year, along with my son. It was supposed to be held in December, which is when it is held annually, right after the holidays. It’s a chance to get one more race in before the end of the year.

I’ve done this race before a few times, and always enjoyed it. There are always a few people that dress up as santa, and it’s generally a fun crowd. It’s got a few hills which are a good challenge.

Last year though, I barely ran. As soon as I’d get over being sick, I’d get sick again. I’d try running and feel crummy the next day. So I didn’t run much, but I thought that signing up for the end-of-year run would get me motivated to keep getting out there, to keep trying.

Towards the end of the year, right around when I came down with the flu, the weather was so crappy that the race got postponed, and then, finally, rescheduled to April.

This year, I just haven’t gotten out to jog as much as I would like.

But race time rolled around. And I decided to go, knowing that I’d probably be walking quite a bit.

Interestingly enough, I did better this year than I did the last time I ran this particular race. And yes, that was with walking here and there.

Sometimes, the biggest risk is just showing up. Things might turn out better than we think. But we’ll never know if we don’t participate. The crazy thing is, I almost didn’t go. I almost talked myself out of it.

Do you ever do that? Say yes to something that, at the last moment, you talk yourself out of? Or- the better part of you says, hey. Let’s go anyway.

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