Happy Thanksgiving!!
Aaron and I got up around 7:00 a.m., got the kids dressed
and fed, and bundled up in our multiple layered running attire. The kids stayed at Grandma’s and played with
their cousins from Fresno while we drove the 10 minutes to Farmington, checked
in for the race, and jogged the course (slightly altered from their posted map
online because of icy conditions on one section). It was a very beautiful, sunny, seven degree
Utah morning. The course was mostly clear
with some slippery snowpack/ice around the corners and one final quarter mile
of crunchy ice chunk covered path and grass to the finish line. We did a nice long warm-up with some strides
and stretching mixed in. The race
started a few minutes late and went out fast down a slight decline for the
first mile. A bounding rabbit in baggy
pants and a hoodie sweatshirt, a fit-looking man in his 30s, and a high school
runner who made no sign of actual effort being put forth went out in the lead. I stayed on their heels and Aaron was a few
strides behind. The bounding rabbit had
already fallen off pace and started running backwards after the first half mile
so it was down to me and two men pushing the first mile. The less young of the two men fell off just
before the first mile and I ran with the high school dude(correcting him twice
for nearly turning off course) for a comfortable 5:35 through mile one. The
second mile was a gradual incline and we slowed to 5:45. Right when my watch said mile two the course
turned right and shot us down a steep decline back towards the race
finish. One loop around a neighborhood
and up the chunky/icy final quarter mile and we were finished. I think my final mile was 5:32 and the sprint
to the finish was 5:20 pace for a finish time of 17:20. The high-schooler finished 10 seconds ahead
of me. I found out he is a member of the
Davis High school cross country team and they are going to a big national event
in a couple of weeks. I commented to him
that he appeared to be jogging out there and he said he ran 15:50 last week so
yes, 17:10 was quite comfortable for him.
He thanked me for keeping him on course.
The course map he looked at last night online was obviously not the same
course they had laid out today so it was good that Aaron and I had gotten there
in time to read the updated map and jog the actual course beforehand. A few minutes after Aaron finished, we left
to jog the course one more time for our
cool down and completed our day at 10 miles.
After the race we chatted with Jun and his son for a minute and also
happened to bump into our Stake President from the Boulder Stake along with his
wife and 5 of his sons. It was fun to
catch up with them and enjoy the coincidence of traveling all this way to end
up in the same lil’ 5K.
The post race food was donuts and hot chocolate which hit
the spot as we started to cool off again in the now nine degree Hawaiian
Holiday we were experiencing. We went
over to chat with the race director, Darrell and he gave me a prize for winning
the women’s race; a $50 Chase gift-card, fresh apple pie, and some rockin’ orange
“Sock-Guys” socks with a turkey on them.
What a generous race director!! The funny part about the award was that just
a week ago, I had suggested to him that he give at least $50 to the race
winners and I also suggested pies for the age division winners. Hey, he ASKED for prize suggestions on his website,
so why not? You only get what you ask
for. And you better be careful what you
ask for too because you often get exactly what you ask for which is why I
didn’t suggest a large obnoxious plastic turkey trophy, a free 15 lb. turkey
(which would be leaking blood and stinking up our car on the long drive home),
or even a 64 oz. glass beer mug (one of my favorite prizes through the years…I
just don’t need another one).
The race was really fun albeit, cold. Darrell did a great job of lifting spirits
with the music and hot chocolate and I think all in attendance were happy to be
there.
I was pretty happy with running a 17:20 considering where
I’m at in my training and also considering the less than perfect racing
conditions.
The remainder of the day was spent cooking, chatting with
family, eating delicious food, playing card games, and thinking about all the
many things I have to be grateful for. I
feel so overwhelmed with gratitude as I consider all the wonderful blessings in
my life; my brilliant, supportive, good looking, ambitious husband, my obedient,
kind, cooperative, smart kids, my good health and strength, our new home in
Boulder, our many friends and associations with wonderful, inspiring people,
our siblings, in-laws, and parents, as well as our Faith in God and testimonies
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We got news this afternoon that Aaron’s 96-year-old Grandpa
passed away at 1 p.m. He lived a long,
full life and set forth a legacy of Faith and hard work to be followed by his
50+ grandkids and even more great grandkids.
He is a kind, gentle soul whom we will remember fondly.
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