Canyonlands Half Marathon Take Two

As many of you know....I got talked into doing another half marathon. I was dead set against it, but my brother, Terry, is a smooth talker. I'm actually really happy I did it because I found my love of running again. I was very nervous that I wasn't going to beat my time because we moved about a month before the race (I'll explain at a later time). It was very stressful and I didn't run at all for two weeks. Luckily I didn't have any problems getting back into my training.

Last year I didn't have any pictures because Antonio didn't come, but this year he came AND I brought my phone so I could take pictures. :)
Here I am at the start of the race. This was just minutes before it started. I was excited to get started. I just wanted to enjoy the run this time (unlike last time). I decided to start up in the 8 minute mile group. I don't run 8 minute miles hardly ever, but last year I started back with my 9 minute peeps and there were a bunch of slow people that I tried to pass, but couldn't because there were too many of them. I decided to be the slow person for the 8 minute peeps. :) heehee By the way...I made a "half marathon" playlist for my ipod and I had to make it three times because I kept messing it up....we are talking about hours wasted on this playlist. I finally got it done and plugged my ipod in and when I left for Moab I grabbed my ipod and didn't look to see if the playlist was on it. I get up the mountain and I realize that I forgot to sync my playlist and it wasn't on my ipod. GRRRRRR. To make matters worse...there was a bad head wind. I HATE running in the wind. It is hard! I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy the run. I told my group that if I didn't beat my time that I was using the wind as an excuse and they said it wasn't an excuse because the wind was insane.

Anyway...the gun went off and I started running and I was actually passing people that started in the 8 minute category. I was shocked and glad that I started up there. After the first mile I was pooped. I started off too fast. I decided that I better slow down or I would be crawling by the time we were running through the crowd and I didn't want to look like a wuss. I ran mile 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and then I realized that I was tired. I grabbed some Gu that had caffeine in it and I was hoping that it would give me some energy. Just then....I see it....a steep hill at mile 9. I didn't think there could be any more hills. I couldn't remember the course from last year. Ugh... here I go and here comes some nice wind to help push me down as I try to run up the hill. Then it happened...."If you really want More (more), scream it out louder, Get it on the floor, bring out the fire, And light it up, take it up higher, Gonna push it to the limit, give it more". It was my song from Usher. It was like a choir of angels and at the same time my Gu kicked in and I was feeling good. I could hear the drums beating from the mouth of the canyon. They have a group that does it every year. It is really cool. I was feeling good, but I couldn't believe that I still had 3 + miles to go. I kept pushing and finally I could see the finish line. It seemed so far away. I wanted to stop running because I was so tired. All of the sudden there was an older couple that runs past me holding hands and everyone was clapping for them (or me, :) but I'm pretty sure it was for them). I didn't even care that these old farts were going to beat me. I was looking for Antonio and hoping that he was going to get a picture of me so that I don't have to pay $30 for a picture from the photographers at the race. I get closer to the finish and I see 2:01. I see that I am actually going to beat my time despite the wind and all of the sudden I get a surge of energy and passed the old farts and sprinted to the finish line. I grabbed some water and thought....hmm...I didn't see Antonio. I knew there was a good chance that he wouldn't get a picture of me because there were so many people in the race and he had our girls with him. I spot him right by the finish line with his camera glued to his face and I yell for him and he looked shocked. He said 'when did you come in?' and I said 'about 6 minutes ago'. He felt so bad for missing me (and probably even more bad that I was going to have to pay another photographer for a picture) and he couldn't figure out how he missed me. He got a picture of everyone else in the group, but me (oh and my brothers girlfriend). Oh well! My final chip time was 2:01:20. Now I want to do it again to see if I can get it under 2 hours. I'm sure I can...especially if there wasn't any wind.
"I don't know how you missed me!!"
He took about a million pictures of me after because he was trying to make up for missing me.
Here are me and my sister stretching...trying to be cool.
I was so happy to have Antonio there this year!!! He was in charge of getting the girls up and dressed and doing their hair, but he failed in the hair department. It was windy anyway so there wasn't much he could have done.
Me and my 'sweetheart' Alexia. She is a mommy's girl. She used to be a daddy's girl, but now that she is older and wising up she is all about her mommy. :)
Savanna is a daddy's girl...in this picture she was crying "Daddy! Daddy!"
Here is the family after the race was all over with. I'm very glad I did it, but my toenail is falling off now and I don't like that at all! How am I supposed to wear sandals this summer???