Our Race

Ryan and I ran our 5k last week. My first one! It was called the Round-up Family Fun 5k. Since the title said, family fun, I figured it would be like the Women's walk. No, I was wrong. It was all very competitive. Knowing full well that I would not be able to run the whole 5k, (even if I could my run is not much faster than my walk) I signed up for the walk part, so Ryan's race was before mine. He did really good and he ran it in 26 minutes and 4 seconds. He was right in the middle for his age group and was also in the middle overall. I, on the other hand, was a little slower. The race started at 7 am, and it already felt like 100 degrees out, then it was almost all up hill. Both ways. (Ok, not really, but it sounds better on my behalf). I lined up, and said a prayer, "Please don't let me be dead last" and off I went. I started out trying to keep up the majority, but it starts on a steep incline and went over to the Junior High. Since I know exactly the course we were going, and how far the Junior High was, I decided to just go my own pace and quickly fell to the back of the pack, and then all of a sudden I was the lone racer. I went past a police man and thought, if he doesn't move, then I will know people are still coming. Oh he packed up and left right after I passed, so did the next one and the next one. I would not dare turn around and see what I already knew, I was dead last. So, since I knew my fate, I changed my prayer, to please let me survive this. By the time I turned the corner to get to the Junior High, I thought I was literally going to die. The 10k'ers ran the same course twice, and started about 30 minutes behind the walkers. As they were passing me, one said this is the 2 mile mark, it's all downhill now. I started thinking about it ran around the Junior High, and realized I still have another big hill! I really wanted to detour and just go home, but I knew Ryan would be waiting for hours for me, and then I would be disappointed with myself, so I kept on going. A guy ran past me, kind of glanced at me and said "Good Job", then when his brain registered what he saw, he did a full body turn, and said "Keep going you have less then a mile, you can do it". I thought, I must look like I feel, but his words were encouraging. When I finally made it in, Ryan was cheering for me at the finish line. We went home, and Ryan checked our stats. My goal was to make it in under an hour, and I did!! I am really excited because all my practice runs have been 20 minute miles, so it was a big deal to me. Also, 2 people, that is right 2 people came in after me in my division. I wasn't dead last and I survived! So, the Lord answered both my prayers. I had read somewhere that if you do runs like this, it helps keep you motivated, so Ryan and I are going to do another one in July. Now I have a time to try to beat, and it is in Saratoga Springs, which won't have the hill.

Today Ryan and I have taken an easy day. It has been hot here, and we had a wind storm that blew this branch off our tree. Ryan finally broke it up today and took it to be picked up, with all the neighbor branches. I ventured to wash Kula, which was pointless, because as soon as I was done, he rolled around in the mud. At least he smells like coconut.