3:27:33 -- Definitely not my best race, but considering the past few weeks I will gladly take it and say "thank you very much." :) So ... this is definitely a race I will remember. Just for a quick run down: The family is staying in Eden thru tomorrow afternoon. I met up with them after a super long day (13 hours) in the clinic. I think I got here around 9:30ish. I was tired but all was good. :) Saturday morning I slept in (giving me 9+ hours of sleep which felt AWESOME). Got up and began to get ready for my short little jog. WHAT??? Somehow my running bag was left at home!!! NO!!!! With construction in the canyons it was about a 3 hour trip. Dumb!!! But I told myself the sitting while driving would be a good forced rest. :) Now to the race: I WAS FREEZING from the get go. Arrived with a little over an hour before the start and searched and searched for Smooth, Vuyk, Ashton the Lintons and Lowell. Never did find them. This bummed me out big time. I just wanted the gun to go off and to get moving. I did find a handful of friends from my neighborhood though. I was wearing shorts, tank, and a pair of Ry's dress socks on my arms. Everything was soaked within the first 20 minutes (I told myself, "No problem, T! You run well in rain." :) Miles 1 - 5. I told myself to go slow per Bonnie's advice. I tried to ... but I was moving faster than I should have even though it felt super easy. So easy that I overly confidently told myself, "Teena, I think you are going to PR today! Merry Christmas!!!" Mile 6: (Background: Last night I spent over $20 purchasing some new tunes for my ipod. Good music always makes me feel good and I knew that I would need that today.) My ipod was soaked and ceased to play any music whatsoever!!!! Weaksauce ipod!!! Miles 7 - 10: I didn't like these miles. Boring. Mile 11: Saw Ashton!!! "Sweet!" Since Ashton is friends with Ry I am sure that I will not get in any trouble if I give him a hard slap on the buttocks as I pass!! He beat me in XTERRA, so now it was my turn. Still thinking I rule. :) Mile 12 - 16: Ran comfortably but the miles were starting to wear on me. Took my 2nd Gu around mile 16. Had a hard time opening it because my fingers were shaking and my teeth were failing to do anything resembling ripping a package open! Finally got it. Mile 17-20: Not too bad ... but starting to struggle more than I had hoped. But plenty happy that I was not struggling any worse. Just dripping wet and freezing my something off. The idea of PRing disappeared. Thought a course PR was still realistic. Which still thrilled me. Mile 21 - 23: Can't fully take advantage of the sweet canyon downhill. Things are turning south very quickly. (Which is normal for me on this course.) "Stupid puddles and construction areas ... " No way to run true tangents. The discrepancy of the mileage on my watch and the mile markers on the course are getting further and further apart. Can't open another Gu. Hands and teeth are not behaving. Out of frustration I cease trying. No more Gu's or anything solid for the last 10 miles of the race. But I walked through most all of the aid stations to drink my little cup of gatorade. :) Mile 24 - finish: Hurting. Hurting. Hurting. No injuries. Just extreme fatigue and stomach. Trying to call upon Bonnie and Andrea's badassness (can I say that on here?). Almost there!! No chance of getting a course PR at this time. My watch is too off. No how no way. Oh well!! It's all good. I'll see my Ry in no time!!! (He ran the half in 1:46:xx. And he looked amazing this morning!) :) FINISH!!!! 3:27:33 (1:13 more than my personal course best but almost a quarter of a mile longer than 26.2 ... so it all comes out in the wash, right?) Glad it's over! I'm happy! You win some, you lose some. This was kind of in between, AND ... my body doesn't hurt now several hours later. Just a little tightness in the right hip but nothing bad at all. Now how do you like them apples??? :) :) :) Happy Saturday, All. Oh, speaking of wash, quick question: "Why did the polar bear wash his clothes in Tide?" ANSWER: Because it was too cold to wash them 'out'-tide!!!!!! :) :) :) (Now admit it: That is HILARIOUS!) | 
