Happy Birthday! Did you know that its my birthday Sunday? My secret is no age. I ran a 100miler on my 30th birthday. And what a way to celebrate it! With that being said, here are 6 ways NOT to celebrate a birthday. You know I have to stick to the healthy perspective, right?!
#1) Only drink beverages labeled “over 21”. Contrary to popular belief, getting drunk is not the way to celebrate a birthday. If you must consume something, head to a vineyard for a wine tasting. Or if you are cool like me, add some lemon to your water. If you really want to live life on the edge, add some fresh mint to it.
#2) Eat ALL the cupcakes from THE cupcake shop. As tempting as it sounds, try to limit yourself to one (okay, maybe two if they tiny). You don’t want to be sick for the rest of the year by being a on a sugar high!
#3) Stay indoors & only communicate via Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace (if you know what that is, I don’t). Get outside, go for a hike, kayak, get a group of friends and go play real or mini golf. Yes, it can be fun. You can even take photos and Twitpic them. On the day after your birthday of course.
#4) Check in at EVERY restaurant, store and minor road intersections. And by check in, I don’t mean Foursquare, Gowalla or any other stalking, oops I mean tracking app. Plan ahead to eat at healthy place (yes, in this day and age of 2.0, healthy options are out there). Don’t forget to check in at the gym too!
#5) Run a race in 95 degree heat. My 100 miler ultra marathon had temps of over 95 degrees. It was in South Dakota. How the hell I finished, I’ll never know (thank god for cold washcloths!). While you may not take on a beast of this nature, why not try a 5k or a 10k? Racing on your birthday can be fun. Just make sure you wear a shirt or a hat declaring it your special day!
#6) Celebrate quietly. I believe birthday’s are a time to celebrate the friends you have, the health you have been given and a chance to help others. While most of us fear turning a year older, look at this way, you have been given another year to make someone laugh, tell a sarcastic joke or become the next “Social Media Expert” (kidding). I will be 31 on August 22. Age is just a number. I still get asked what school I go to. And you can’t beat that!
Cheers to a happy & healthy birthday!!
This year Sarah Stanley will be cycling from DC to NYC to celebrate her birthday. The trek begins September 14. You can follow the #celebrationRide journey on Twitter @sarahstanley & @RunRideInspire. Check out the other reason why she is using her legs to get her to New York City here.
