Really, it's not. Not even a little. I have slacked so much on writing I truly don't know where to begin. I suppose I will start with my Race-O-Month. Let's see, I left off with May's race. So next was June
This was a special event. It was a 10k, but unlike any 10k before. This was the official Papa Jay's 10k. I really can't do this run justice. It was a good, good time.
The setting was a little town called Clifton Idaho. My sweet mother in law found the details to this race in the newspaper, so I rallied the troops
and off we went. When we got to where we thought the race started, all we saw were a couple of people, a card table and some random things on the park benches. We made our way over to the card table and couple of people and we were greeted with "Oh yay we have runners!" (off to a good start, but trust me, it only gets better...) We wrote our own names down on a piece of paper to enter into a drawing after the run. Then we wrote our own names down on a label and stuck it to ourselves (this was like our running numbers). I asked the lady in charge what this race was for (sometimes you run for an event or a fundraiser or something in particular) She said, "Well, I am going on the trek with my ward next week and I had to walk 6 miles today anyways, so I just thought that I would make it into a party!" Good enough for me!
Time had come to get the party started. We all lined up at the start line. For this race we had: 2 people on bikes, 4 people walking, 9 people running (5 of which was our group) and 1 dog. After a photo-op of the running crowd at the start line, we got our instructions..... "Make your way down this road, then cross the highway. Watch for cars, there usually aren't any, but be careful anyways, we don't have police escorts here. Then make a left go on that road for a while, then turn left onto Siphon Road. It's not really called Siphon Road, that is just what we call it, but go on that road anyways, make your way up the hill, don't worry it's not a big hill. When you get to the lakes, turn around and make your way back here. If you get too tired along the way, Handsome Bob will pick you up on his 4-wheeler. Handsome Bob, please raise your hand."
*this old farmer off to the side raises his hand* "Now, the 4-wheeler isn't registered, so we need to make sure no cops see Handsome Bob giving anyone a ride, so just be careful. When you cross the finish line, someone will yell out your time. Remember that and write it on the label you have on you. Then add it to the chart on the table. The course should be pretty easy to follow, it is marked with inspirational quotes all along the way. So, so start us off, we have done something else illegal, Handsome Bob has made a home made firework....Handsome Bob, when your ready."
So Handsome Bob lit his home made firework and the race was on. Shortly after we started, my brother in law said that this feels like something out of a Napoleon Dynamite sequel. The course was so pretty. I loved it. It was a great run. We all finished and got our official jumping photos.
They did the drawing while we were running in this is loot I got.
Fantastic!
Next is July.
My July race is the same every year. I do the Lewiston 4th of July Border Run. You have the choice between a 10k, 5k and 1 mile course. I always do the 5k because the half way mark is just at the end of my parent's property and the whole family comes down for some high fives, cheers and smiles. Just what you need at any half way mark during a run! I always enjoy a good fun race, but I have to say, the smiles and hollers from my cute nieces and nephews is the best. Period.
Of course, the jumping photos.
The last race I did was a couple of weeks ago. The Top of Utah Half Marathon. This was the second time I ran this race. I really enjoyed it the first time around. Not to say I didn't this time, I just, well, let me explain.....
This summer has been -to say the least- exhausting, hard, long. My training for this run wouldn't have happened without my Mary Ann. Many people call her a friend. I am lucky enough to be able to call her my sister. She really carried me this summer, in more ways than just with running. Anyways..... The week before the Half, we had our ten mile run. It. Was. Great. I felt awesome and loved it. So I was feeling pretty durn good for the half the following week. Then comes Monday, I started on some new medicine and started feeling side effects the next day. I felt dizzy, nauseous and more tired than normal (which, if you know me at all, you know that is VERY tired). By the time Saturday rolled around, I was a little scared for how this would effect my run. As it turns out I had a right to be nervous. Starting out was fine. Good run, good pace, good company. But then I started to feel sick. I started to feel over heated. I started to feel dehydrated. I was so dizzy, the road started to move around. I can't even explain how crappy I felt. But I am not one to not finish a run. (this is the girl who did the Ragnar 7 1/2 months pregnant you know?!?) So, I fell behind my group, made a new race buddy and finished the darn thing.
Cause you know, that's how I roll. I saw my darling husband, baby, mother in law and nieces and nephews at the finish line and that made the WHOLE thing worth it.
*I know it has to be so boring to watch someone run a race, but as the runner, I can say, it means more than anything to be brought into the end by someone you love*
My running group.
Best. Husband. Ever. The End.
I was hurting pretty bad, but I had to get my jumping photo. I used the curb to get any sort of height. :)
So far, so good. I have kept up with my goal of a race each month this year and plan to carry it out the rest of the way.
It was on the Shoreline trail and seeing as the weather had been kinda crappy, so was the trail. We were running on the side of a mountain through mud. It just kept piling onto our shoes and eventually made ankle weights on us. Oh, and no one told us where the half way mark was so we all just kept running up the mountian until we decided to turn around. Not just me and Tawna and Jami, the.whole.everyone.on.the.race. Cool. And, to make this run official, here ya go...
