Each Day Is a Gift

Even though I was wide awake all night, I did not get up until the alarm went off at 3am.  I wanted hubby to have the full 4.5 hr sleep so he could drive me 80 miles to Bryce Canyon City in the dark thru the winding mountain forest roads.  Words cannot describe my gratitude for a wonderful sweet sweet hubby!!! :)  What husband would give up sleeping in a nice hotel suite (especially after a long Friday of driving, traveling and working) or enjoying the hotel's breakfast buffet to get up at the wee hours and drive a crazy wife to a race???♥♥♥ :) :) :) My eyes were blood shot, my body dog-tired.  I only had 2 hr sleep in the last two days.  What was I thinking?  Was so tempted to go back to bed or have hubby drive me to Provo Canyon for the RHPC1/2 instead! :)

We checked out of the hotel (that sadly we didn't get to enjoy) at 3:30 am.  I studied the google maps which estimated a 1hr 37 min drive.  Since we've never driven from Cedar City to Bryce Canyon, we figured a 2 hr drive would give us some time cushion.  A beautiful full moon illuminated the pine trees, river and dark winding forest roads.  We must've seen at least a dozen deer.   Thankfully there was zero traffic and only two vehicles passed us the entire 80 miles.  I forced down a yogurt an hour into the drive.

We got to the start at 5:15ish.  Not knowing the logistic I had hubby pull off the side of the road close to the start by the second lines of pops.  Got my bib/chip and went to the pop.  While in the pop, I heard them announcing that cars cannot be parked alongside the road and must be moved to the Rodeo Ground.  What? Where?  I quickly got in the car to put on the bib and chip while hubby assessed the situation.  A lady volunteer asked us to move our car.  Hubby kindly told her that he was just dropping me off and asked where to pull off.  Good thinking on hubby's part, he pulled the car off the roadside just behind the police escorts and buses facing the throngs of runners walking to the start.  I went to the pop a second time.  My tummy was not happy.

In the haste of packing, I forgot to bring a jacket.  I was freezing so I stayed in the car while straining to watch for Leslie Petersen and hoped to spot Steam8 whom I've never met.  I was getting apprehensive.  Why am I running this?  What a surprise and delight when AmberG tapped on our car window.  THANK YOU AMBER for stopping to stay hello.! You had no idea how much that meant to me!  It totally lifted my spirit! :) :) :)  Then Lowell called! :)  He and his buddies had just finished their 34 mile moonlight midnight jaunt on the Poky Course.  It was so COMFORTING to hear Lowell's and Terry's voices and their *good luck* wishes.  I choked down a banana.  With a minute before start, I hesitantly kissed hubby goodbye and headed out into the cold darkness towards the start line.

I started at the back of the pack.  It seemed everyone had two or three running partners to walk, talk and laugh with.  It was a lonely chore to weave around them.  Saw a girl with long dark pony tail and beautiful long eye lashes, I ran alongside and loudly uttered "Amy! Amy!"  (She had ear buds on).  "Steam8? Steam8?"  No respond! :)  I was overjoyed when I spotted the beautiful Leslie at about 0.3 mile.  She was bundled up nicely.  We exchanged hugs and quick hellos.  Was so cold that I had to keep moving.  The first mile was a slight incline on Hwy 63 before dumping onto Hwy 12.  First mile split was 9:30.

Mile 2-6 splits: 8:43, 7:20, 7:31, 7:56, 7:58.  I had no time goal for this run.  Based on Sasha's calculator, my UVM time would put me at 1:50 for this course.  Since I was using this as a downhill training run, I decided to focus on form and feel and not worry about time.  Was a little concerned with my labored breathing from the get-go.  Then I realized the elevation was at 7,700 ft.  The biggest drop came between mile 1.5 to 2.5 where I passed many many runners.  My ears actually popped and breathing got under control and finally got warmed up as the sun rose.  The scenery was spectacular with a vast view of the surrounding mountains and valleys, voodoos and sandstone formations.  The sky was a cloudless sunny blue.  I highly recommend Bryce for its spectacular scenery and sweet downhill course! :)

Mile 7-10:   8:25, 8:31, 8:59, 8:15.  The first little uphill came just before mile 7.  Up to this point no one has passed me.  Some young legs now passed me on the uphill.  I wasn't too concerned, just concentrated on even effort and running the tangent.   My right knee, the one that's been bothering me, was holding out okay on the downhill.  The left knee started to squawk and the 1st metatarsal on the left foot also complained.  I chalked it up as a consequence of being in heels all day yesterday.  The course flattened out a bit as we got near Tropic and another uphill leaving Tropic.  I took a gu at the aid station in Tropic (mile 9).  The smell of greasy food wafting from some diners almost made me puke.  

Mile 11-finish:  8:11, 8:37, 8:29, 7:03.  My GI started to revolt.  Each time I came upon a pop, it was occupied, STINK!!!  I kept running and hoped that I would make it to the finish before the thing explode! :)  It was starting to get warm.  With 5K to go, I finally checked my watch and realized if I held my pace under 9mm, I could finish in 1:50.  I concentrated on reeling people in.  There was a little girl in a pretty salmon color top that was running with either an older brother or uncle whom I had been leap frogging with.  I finally passed them for good around mile 11.  Another slight uphill just before mile 12.  My shins started to cramp up with a mile to go.  Ignoring the pain, telling myself the sooner I get to the finish I sooner I get to the pop and end this misery! :)  With 0.1 to go, I saw hubby and heard JulieC's cheer which gave me the extra boost to *kick* it in.  I was elated to see the clock at 1:49:4x.  Yes!  I PR'd!  :) :) :)   My official chip time:  1:48:41.  What a blessing! :)

I kept walking in circles at the finish corral and saw Steam8.  She is tinier and prettier in person than her blog pic.  What a delight to meet her! :)  She also PR'd and had a great race!  She walked with me to pick up my race shirt.  We had a nice little visit and snapped couple of pic.  So happy I got to meet her!  I had to go to the pop couple of times before heading to the award ceremony.  I wanted to wait for Leslie to come in; but hubby needed to head home so he could mow the lawn and do his stake president's stuff.

Sadly, I made hubby stopped at every gas station and rest stop on the drive home.  The drive took 5 hours.  My tummy was cramping up badly.  Not sure if it was the salad from the RS social or the lukewarm dinner last night, but I must've had a bad case of food poison.  I lost 5 pounds!  After we got home, all I could do was lay in bed between bathroom trips.  So other than the tummy issue, I had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful Bryce Canyon!  If I were to run it again in the future, I would make it a vacation and hike Bryce Canyon!  :) :) :)

Life is a blessing!!!