It was such a pretty course. We all agreed, we had different goals so we wouldn’t run together. So the start came and then our team split up and we all ran our separate paces. I didn’t take music with me and I just ran a comfortable pace down the canyon.
I decided running a race is like reading a good book. You want to enjoy it, but you want to get to the end too. I wanted to go fast, but I didn’t want to miss the canyon either. It is a really pretty course.
It was pretty emotional to think about, all those runners, and the cause behind the race. I thought a lot about that while I ran. I teared up a couple times just thinking about all of this and watching runners. I saw lots of people with pictures of loved ones that they were running for pinned to their shirts. I heard lots of cancer survivors announced as they came across the finish. I thought a lot about my mother in law Betty, who lost her battle with cancer a little over two years ago. I thought about my dad, who had colon cancer while we lived by them in Washington. There were so many people I thought of. I proudly wore my “cancer sucks” temporary tattoo on my arm the rest of the weekend. Maybe it wasn’t the most appropriate thing for church, but I think my mother in law would have agreed. Cancer sucks!
The running was great, but the problem I ran into, was it was SO hot this weekend. It’s been really hot. It wan’t even really super cold up the canyon before we started. I was pretty warm even running in the canyon with the shade. Then after mile 7 you are out of the canyon and the sun was out and I started to slow down. I drank water or poweraide at almost every station, but it must not have been enough. After mile 10, my splits were all over 10 min miles.
The last mile came and I really did not feel good. I just wanted to finish. I would run in the sun and walk in the shade. I was really frustrated with myself, but just needed to finish and sit down. I felt really dizzy and not good at all.
My husband and cute kids came to cheer me on, I saw them almost at the end of the last mile. I had to put on a smile and hope I wouldn’t collapse in front of them! Then it was over the finish line…and they had chilled wet washcloths..that felt like heaven. My friends rocked the race, they both came in front of me. The other two ladies in our group came right after me and everyone in our group (but me) set a PR. I didn’t faint, so I’m okay with no PR. haha.
It took me until about 5pm, a nap, and a lot of Gatorade to get me to feel like normal again. My legs weren’t even sore, but darn that heat!
Then it was off to the kid run!
We spent the rest of the day relaxing (and recovering) in the cool basement and out of the heat. It was such a fun day. My kids loved it and can’t wait to race again. I think I’ll have to add the American Fork Half to my race schedule again and again.
Now I need to decide…what to do next?!?
