race day

My sister, Sara, turns the big 3-0 this weekend. Several months ago we began discussions about a proper celebration. It had been several years since we had done anything just the two of us. Talk turned to fitness goals we were both working on and I think the hair-brained idea was mine to train for a half marathon.

We started researching races. The race we really wanted to run was the Tinkerbell Half, Disneyland's first ever half marathon held on their glorious grounds. Closer examination revealed that race day was in fact on a Sunday. Further research showed that most long distance races are held on Sundays. It was a big bummer taking a pass on the Disney race, but we figured we would enjoy a Saturday run so much more. We decided on the So Cal Half. Though it is hosted by an Irvine High school athletics booster, the race is a qualifier for the LA Marathon and is really well attended. To the tune of around 4000 runners.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. There was a foggy marine layer that stuck around most of the race. And running at sea level in the humidity was a bit heavenly to this girl from Phoenix. Sara and I were super pleased with the whole thing. It was a big goal and I was so happy that we could do it together in celebration of her birthday! Here are my result stats:

Time: 2:11:03
Pace: 10:00
51/141 out of my gender and age group
1608/3960 over all
I'll take it!

Kevin, Sara's boyfriend, met us at the finish line and they let me hang out with them for the rest of the day. We went to lunch. We went out to the movies. Then we wandered around Downtown Disney for a while and had dinner at the Jazz Kitchen. As you can see, my plate was scraped clean no problem. It was such a super great day. I was especially grateful to Cori, who was not only encouraging of all my long saturday runs on the weekends leading up to the race, but who totally took care of the home front and gave me the weekend to spend with Sara.

Our old home town is just a skip off the 91 on the way back to Phoenix. I made a quick detour to snap a picture of our childhood home. It used to be shades of tan and brown. The oak trees are still the tallest on the block. All of the wooden plank fences that would blow down in the Santa Ana winds have been replaced with cinderblock walls.

I stopped by the park down the street and around the corner. It is so interesting revisiting places of one's childhood. In my mind's eye, everything is bigger and steeper and grander. Nobody was there. And the Santa Ana's were just picking up. It was hard not to feel sentimental standing there in the wind - a thousand memories at the ready.

It was an important little journey for me. The experience gave me the chance to throw myself at something and achieve. Though I still wouldn't call myself a runner, running is something I can get into my day without sacrificing what time I have for the more important things in my life. So, it was easy to do a lot of it once I got over hating it. And I'm so much happier. I get so tightly strung. I find that the more I run, the more I can chill out. And it meant a lot to me to do it with Sara who has endured being one of my best friends on the planet her whole life.

Still crossing my fingers for a chance to run a Ragnar this year! The one in PHX is in less than a month and it sounds like the team from our ward is still full. One of Cori's best friends, whom we had dinner with whilst in Utah, is putting together a team for the Wasatch back with his wife. Cori and I are hoping to run that one in June. It would be so much fun to do together.