I did It! I can't believe I survived.

Okay, about 6 six weeks ago, my friend Kristen mentioned to me there was going to be a 1oK run in Zion National Park on November 7th and asked if I wanted to run it with her. I was open to the idea. I had six weeks to train for this. I can do it. Right? I sign up. I start training. I am doing okay. I think this is a possibility. I might not be the last person. Then life catches up with me. Midterms...kids...house....life! I don't train for the race for about the last 2 to 2 1/2 weeks before the race. I give up. It was only $20. Oh well. Kristen calls a couple days before the race. Yep, I commit to still do it. I know, it sounds crazy. What the heck....I am going to die in the middle of the race course. My biggest fear is that the police car or shuttle will be following behind me because I am the last runner. So....

Here is Kristen and myself before the race starts. We start running in Sprindale and run to Grafton. Can you see the fear in my face? I know I am going to pass out on the run...or should I just walk? We line up when the announcer says, "2 minutes to start". Oh no, don't I have another 5 weeks to train. What in the world am I doing here! Everywhere I look there are a bunch of totally fit people that look just at ease. This is their element and I am out of mine. Then the gun goes off. That was surreal. I start running. I have no idea what I am doing. I just keep following the crowd of people that keeps passing me. I lose Kristen in the first 5 mintues of the race. I have no idea where she is. Great, I am all by myself...... Luckily, the scenery was beautiful. As you can see from the pictures...that Nate took while I was trying to run.... and run....and walk....and walk....and then try to run some more..

After what seems like an eternity..well not quite..I finally see a mile marker sign. My hopes are dashed...can it really be only mile marker 1...NOOOOO! Wha Who!!! It was mile marker 3!! I am half done. I can't believe it. I go from utter despair to actually believing I might actually accomplish this. I now think I can do this. The first water station will be in .1 miles. There it is, I can see it. Yes, the next water station is only 1.5 miles down the road. I can do this. I keep going. I make it to the water station. Only a little farther to the finish line. Then mile 5 came. I pass the sign and my lack of training began to catch up with me. My muscles start to cramp a little. I start to slow down a little. Then, out of no where, Kristen slapped me on the butt and said "come on"! It's just what I needed. We ended up finishing together. I sprinted the last few yards to the finish line, as you can see from the next picture. My crazy hair tells it all.

My eyes have to be deceiving me. The time on the clock cannot be right. I actually made it accross the finish line!! I did it!

Tyler & Nate were there cheering me on. It was exillerating seeing and hearing them cheer me to the end of my first race.

Look at our red faces!! We actually did it. (Well, I knew she could do it. She was valiantly training). We are releived it is all over. YES!!

My official time was 1:08:02.1

I cannot believe I ran over 6 miles in a little over an hour. Wow. For me, this was a miracle. It made my whole day. I came in 95th place overall and 16th in my catorgory (25-29 years). I think I might just do this again...but with A LOT more training. :) My average min/mile was 10:56.

Thanks Nate, Tyler, & Kristen for the support and slap on the butt I needed to get me there.

(oh, yeah...there were around 400 people that were running it and I made it in the first 100!)