OUT OF THE SUN RUN 2008

So this whole running thing is a big deal for me. In 7th grade I went out for track and the high school coach wanted me to run varsity. I don’t know in what events because I was too shy to ask. However, the deal was I run long distance with the high school girls for training! I lasted 3 days and then decided I can't run for crap and at this point softball looks better! I quit that Monday (day of first meet) and went out for softball. I did softball from 7th grade to 10th grade in which I played in enough Varsity games to letter. Then in 11th grade I decided I wanted to run track again so as a junior I went out for track for the second time. This time worked out great! We got to pick a maximum of 4 events. I didn't really know what I would be good at but in the end my favorite moments were setting the conference record for girls pole vaulting, jumping just shy of our school record in long jumping at my first meet (never came close after that), making sections in our 4x1 relay team and coming close to our high school's school high jump record that my idol held! As you can see there is still not near any long distant running in my life.

For a short period of time 2 of my girlfriends would run around our school block which was a mile. We called ourselves JEM (Jill, Emily, Melissa) Its funny because I think Jill and Emily took the short cut a lot and it was only a mile around. To add to my frustrations, these girls today can run miles with no problem! What is wrong with me!

There was also a time in my life when I had to make time for riding my horse and trying to stay in shape. I would go to my friend's house where I boarded my horse and run with my horse a mile and then get on and let her run back! It was fun and she didn't trample me like others in the future would!

So that's the extent of it 1 mile is all I could run ever in my life! Because why...here's why...

I start out running and I will be less than 2 minutes into my run when I feel just this awful sense of being exhausted. Right away I'm thinking one of these phrases if not all of them: "OMG how much longer do I have to go? I hate this, why am I running anyway? Isn't there any other way I can stay in shape where I wouldn't feel like death? Can I walk now? I think I would rather quit eating so I don’t have to run."

By the time I'm done running every thought through my head I start to feel a little better because I think of what a looser attitude I just had and I refuse to be that person. (Except I go through that every time :-\) I continue my run cursing every unlevel bump in the road and hill that I encounter. About the time I'm done cursing my lungs feel like they are bleeding, my ears are ringing and my tongue is numb! (That's the really annoying thing.) To punish myself for being such a poor sport about running I make myself sprint the last little bit. (I mean little bit.)

This past October Mark and I joined Lifetime Fitness because we did run a couple times a week outside and it was getting too cold. We were so good about going to the gym at least 4 times a week and all the way up until January we went. January I got real sick and it had to have come from the gym and I was grossed out by it and annoyed with all the "new" people and their resolutions! So I didn't go much in January but I also at the time had worked up to 3 miles in less than 30 minutes! (I love watching TV and running!) Anyway, I lost steam and even up until now I have not been able to run 3 miles. I lost my endurance! I've been struggling to do 1 mile in less than 10 minutes! We got into playing racquet ball so I would run after. Up until this race I had only run 2 miles at the most and it took 25 minutes so I was wondering how I would ever finish this 3 mile race. I wasn't going to miss this race because I want to do it every year in memory of Angie (Mark's boss who passed away April 2007). I wish everyone in the world could meet her!

So here's how race day went.
We were late getting there and we had to park a half mile away and get bussed in. The race starts at 6pm - we got there at 6pm and we had not registered or paid yet! So I quick get off the bus and race with our registrations and check to the entry on the back side of the Church. I had never raced before so I really have no idea what to expect. The lady gave us a packet and we didn't know the numbers were inside until we were walking up to the starting line to ask a guy what race was starting next. (They have a 10k, 5k, and a walk.) He said 5k. Well we hurried up since they hadn't started and Mark just got his number on and they fired off.

There were around 280 people in the race and when the race started it was kids, runners, moms, dads, pedestrians everywhere all running down the road. Mark is also a novice racer but he is a pretty good runner and it was SO funny to watch him!! There were bagpipes playing and the whole atmosphere was exciting and here's what Mark reminded me of...When I showed my horse Johnny at the Reichert Celebration in the Color Classic we had to find another horse for our rider introductions because we were going to be running them in the arena. (Those who haven't seen this it is pure chaos!) I had to ride Warty, Mark's stud because he was the calmest thing we had. He also was extremely excited and confused as to what was going on and wanted to prance, buck and be naughty the whole time. That's exactly what Mark looked like. Head in the air, tail so high it folds over on the back with knees reaching up to their chin! So funny!

Mark took off ahead of me and that's fine because I wanted him to win. Since I did the walk portion last year I figured I kinda knew where we were going. When I saw the runners go to the right and not the left I honestly thought I was in hell because I could have swore that was the way the 10k runners go! Trying to think fast of what to do I remembered the guy saying this was the 5k! Praying he was right I continued on. I kept a pretty consistent pace knowing that I pretty much will suck anyway but it really is a shock when you have mothers in strollers pass you or the old guy & lady that look a bit over weight & the kids are a story themselves! I felt better passing the people who started out strong and died after the first quarter mile. It was just me and my iPod. Speaking of iPods I have the iPod touch and no case for it. I wanted to stop at Wal-Mart near the race to get one so I had a place to put it while I run (at the gym the treadmills have a shelf) but we were late and I also didn't want to hear Mark complain about the $15 it would have cost! So here I am running, holding my giant iPod!

Finally, I start to see the runners coming back. You run around a cone and head back the way you came. Mark passed and I knew I was a good mile behind. I was doing good. I was entertained by the 2 boys that were maybe 7-10 years old who would run and then walk until I passed them then they would run again and walk again. Every time I would pass they would run again. Normally this would annoy me to no end but I had my iPod and was pondering those questions I wrote about above. I did set a goal...no matter what...I was going to beat those boys!

At this point there was maybe a little over a quarter mile to go in the race and I decided to pick up my pace. I made some good distance and it felt cool to pass people going twice their speed. Then I hit the brick wall and I had to walk because I knew I pushed it too far. I walked maybe 100 meters and refused to walk any longer. The way to the finish line is ALL UP HILL! A LARGE HILL! It was the hardest part of my entire running career. Here's what got me through it...I thought of all those times I saw Angie go from being so healthy to how sick she would get and how strong she was to keep such an amazing attitude through all of it!! She is way stronger then I could have ever been! Once again I wish everyone could have met her! So really the last uphill battle I refused to walk because the situation I was in is not even close to what poor Angie went through!

It paid off. My time was 32 minutes!!! (And I beat the boys by a landslide. - Okay I went to the grass to stretch since I didn't get to stretch before the race...I have no idea how long after the boys came in.)

I'll get the new "Mama Brama" group photo ASAP!