My Next Birthday Race

I've been going back on forth on options for my big 40th birthday destination race. Do I run something big and flashy, like the Las Vegas Rock 'n Roll half, or do I go the introspective route and run a quieter, more self-focused race?

The decision has been a hard one. It came up in the car ride to Portland last weekend, so when we sat down to do tarot readings after a long day of travel and shopping, it made sense for the topic to come up again. After all, we were in the mood to look for signs and get some life direction. So, I shuffled the cards, stacked them, put my hands on the deck, and held this thought in mind: what will my 40s bring, and what intention and energy will I bring to my next decade of life?

Then, I turned the card.

When I'd done my earlier reading, following a simple past-present-future drawing technique, I got some fairly bland cards, as far as cards go. Swords, wands, and cups. No Arcana cards to be seen. I expected more of the same.

I was surprised and delighted to turn a gorgeously illustrated card. I looked at the Italian script across the bottom, and it took a moment for it to register, but there it was, clear as day: I'd pulled the Sun card.

The Sun. Satisfaction, Glory.

As I mentioned in my post about the Portland trip, I'm not generally into superstition, woo-woo type things, but I do think it's fun to lean into them on occasion, and I also believe tarot cards provide a way to focus self-reflection and unearth some of our deeper, more subconscious thoughts. Our most honest thoughts.

On turning the Sun card, I immediately felt a little jolt of excitement and hope. I knew whatever reading came from this card, it would actually tell me something useful.

Melissa plugged the prompt and the card into ChatGPT, our expert medium for this exercise, and goosebumps raised on my arms as she read the results out loud:

Ooooh The Sun upright for stepping into your 40s?! That is such radiant, powerful, deliciously affirming energy to bring with you! Let’s dive in because this is honestly one of the most exciting cards you could pull for this question. 

🌞 What energy are you carrying into your 40s?

Pure vitality, clarity, and self-assured warmth. 

The Sun is you entering a decade where you’re no longer dimming, second-guessing, or negotiating your worth. You’re stepping into a version of yourself that feels lighter, freer, more confident, and more guided by your own inner joy.

It’s the era of:

Reclaiming your own radiance
Leading with optimism instead of fear
Letting things feel easier, because you’ve already done the hard-growth decade
Authentic self-expression — you’re not performing anymore, you’re just being

✨ What intention are you bringing?

The Sun says your intention isn’t survival or hustle — it’s thriving.
It’s “I get to enjoy my life,” not “I have to figure it out.”

You’re bringing the intention to:
Choose alignment over obligation
Create joy on purpose
Surround yourself with people who feel warm and reciprocal
Step into visibility — career, love, expression, all of it

Celebrate yourself more fully, boldly, consistently

💛 This decade is about:
Feeling at home in your own skin
Receiving more than you’re giving
Trusting your path
Letting success flow instead of forcing it
Experiencing love, connection, and fulfillment with clarity

🌅 In short:
Your 40s carry the energy of a personal sunrise — bright, hopeful, expansive, and entirely yours.

We all had the exact same thought: I'd been considering one of the races specifically because it was an early morning race, and I'd be welcoming the first day of my 40s by witnessing the sunrise. Vegas is a sunset race, but the Lost Dutchman in Arizona is a sunrise race.

The card reading also gave me clarity on something else I'd been feeling. While it seems people expect a big blowout party atmosphere for a milestone birthday, and I'd been entertaining the idea of running in Vegas because I felt I was supposed to, but that's never really been my vibe, and I had worried a bit that crazy crowds and loud music might distract me from the race's purpose. I want to be fully present for my birthday race this year. I want to feel truly immersed in the moment. I want to be focused on myself, my growth, and welcoming my 40s with joy, self-acceptance, and love. I want to run a race for me. A smaller, quieter race fits those needs better.

Of course, I couldn't base the decision on a tarot card reading alone. But since then, other things have pushed me in that direction. 

When I told Elizabeth about the Sun card, I expected her to laugh, but she was immediately all-in on seeing it as a sign. And when I told a colleague at work, she also surprised me by totally affirming that the card meant something.

Elizabeth's response, after telling me she'd been secretly pulling for the Arizona race.

I reached out to a couple friends I know in Arizona and it turns out one of them has run the 10k of this race twice and is planning to run the half for the first time in 2026. That felt significant. 

I began searching for VRBOs, reaching out to hosts to figure out how far they were from the race location. This is the message I got from the one I ended up choosing.

So here I am, with a VRBO booked, searching for flights and rental car options, 99% sure this is the race I'll be running the morning of my 40th birthday. I've got logistics to figure out, but it feels good to have a decision mostly made.

My biggest concern now is the weather, because historically this race has sometimes been rainy, sometimes hot, but I'm of the mindset right now that even if race day isn't perfect, this is the race I'm meant to run. If it rains, the sunrise may be more symbolic than literal, but that doesn't matter. It feels meant to be, and now that my heart is convinced, all I can do is lean into it and believe everything else will fall into place.

Because this race is on the 15th, not the 22nd, I've got one fewer week to train, so it's time to buckle down and commit to this training cycle. Dare I say it...I'm excited to get some winter training in and enjoy the ride.

Ali