Warning

This should be taken seriously. If you ever encounter this woman:

RUN AWAY!!

Actually, don't even bother running, get into a car and get away because if you run, she will catch up with you and then run with you...and that is where the danger begins.

She seems really nice, very sweet, concerned about you, but do not buy into it, it's all a trap.

She will start telling you that you are doing a great job, that you have got talent, that you have worked hard, but then that is when she pulls in for the kill.

After she knows that she has you believing in yourself, she will mention an absurdly difficult race and tell you that you could easily do it. You will brush it off, not believe her and just think to yourself that there is no way that you are going to do it.

But then you make the mistake of seeing her again. She keeps talking to you, keeps praising you. You don't feel any pressure, but she is definitely applying it. You start thinking that what she is saying makes sense, but it really doesn't. You start feeling invincible, but you're not. And then, before you know what has happened, you find yourself signing up for a difficult race with the confidence that you can finish it, and finish it well.

Yes, I fell for Carol's sly ploy, but let my experience be a warning to you: Do Not Talk to Her, if you do, you will do things that you only admired other people doing.

What did I sign up for? What seems extreme, even to me? Stay tuned to find out. When I find the time between being a mom, an educator, a cook, a wife, and an athlete, I'll let you know.