we did it

the humble runners accomplished the 9k! tayler and jennifer will be back to discuss their experiences, which is great because i think each are unique. so here is mine. i'll start from the morning.

breakfast of (humble) champions:

we stayed at a hampton inn near the race site. i had bran flakes, coffee, toast, a banana, and chia seeds, courtesy of tayler. and lots of water.

so we got started and almost immediately, i felt exhausted. the elevation was a little over 1,000 feet for our race (there were also an 18k, 20k, and 30k going on), so it was uphill most of the first half. it was hard. for me. i was out of breath and wondering if i was in way over my head. tayler had passed us by this time, and my sis was far enough behind me that i couldn't see her.  there were a few of us trailing in the back. most of us walking up the hills. i'd try to run a bit and then i'd have to stop when i'd get to another hill. it was frustrating.

here is a shot of the view - besides feeling frustrated, i tried to enjoy the beautiful scenery:

once i was close to the top, i saw some of my fellow 9kers passing by me. they had gotten to the top and reached the turn around. they all said encouraging things like, "you're so close" and "the way down is SO much better!" i felt like i got a second wind at this point. i was worried about my sister and wondering how she was doing. but i kept thinking that she'd eventually see the runners i'd just seen, and they'd say equally encouraging things to her. then i saw tayler and she said she'd be waiting for us before the last turn at the bottom.

i finally made it to the turn around and headed back, running and making sure i didn't slip in the muddy areas. i ran into my sis and she was having some issues with her ankle. she ran to the turn around and i waited for her. when she got back she was still hurting but didn't want to stop (i'll let her give you those details). so i ran ahead. this time it was mostly downhill, and i ran without stopping to walk. i crossed paths with the runners in the different races and they again said encouraging things like, "you're looking great," "keep it up," and "good job." i even got a couple of compliments on my tie dye leggings! i felt on top of the world. it was exhilarating. i thought, if i can just remember this feeling on future runs, i could get through the difficult parts no problem.  i was feeling so down on myself in the beginning, and now i realized it was all part of the experience. it's okay to feel challenged and worked over - i'm a humble runner, after all, right?

and here i am - just coming down to the finish:

what a feeling, let me tell you. just before this shot, i got to the final turn and saw tayler and my father in law, dale, with camera in hand, cheering me on. it was amazing. then i got to the bottom and saw tyler, my mom-in-law, culleen, and brother-in-law, jason (jennifer's hubby) cheering me on. i felt like crying.

perhaps this is a post for another day, but part my being so proud of this experience is the fact that i've never been an athletic person. i never played sports growing up, got picked last for teams (i was the one who would eat it trying to serve the volleyball in PE), and struggle with finding the motivation to get out and do something active. not trying to throw a pity-party here by any means. i guess my point is that i surprised myself. and get this - i'm already looking into signing up for the next one. a 12k in january.

so there it is, ladies and gents. we did it. here we are - the humble yet determined runners:



i placed 45th out of 52 people i think. this is obviously not great, but it's pretty exciting to have finished at all and felt as great as i did.

and i got to indulge at the end of the day with a beer and my favorite pizza:

stay tuned for some videos and thanks for reading.

xo,
jessica