Run Jenny Run

 My alarm blaring at 5:45am on a Saturday morning can only mean one thing: race day!  I got up, dressed, made an almond butter toast sandwich and drove about 30 minutes to Sugar House where we were to load onto buses to the top of the race.    It felt veeeeery cold standing in the 30 or 40 minute line waiting to get on a bus.  It was fun listening to the excited groups around me, and then I started chatting with a woman who was by herself like me.  We were seated on the bus together, so it was fun getting to know her on the drive up.  After the bus ride, it was time to get out in the cold again (this time it felt even colder as it was up in the canyon!).  I got to stand in the long port-a-potty line. ;)  This is definitely my least favorite part of running races!  Finally after almost 3 hours of being awake, I was genuinely excited to be there!  I HATE waking up super early, so it takes me awhile to realize I'm ...

 Last night I ran my first night time race.  It was a 10K that started at 11:00pm!  I must admit while I was getting ready to run at a time when I am usually tucked into bed watching The Americans, I was questioning my sanity.  Because we couldn't leave the kids alone that late at night, Erik couldn't come out to support which was a bummer.   My snap chat when I arrived at the race.  I was so nervous (I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this because I am ALWAYS  nervous before a race!).  The atmosphere at this race was so fun!  Everyone was in neon colors and they passed out glow necklaces and bracelets which honestly helped us see all of the other runners out on course. There were several big multi generational family groups that were fun to watch.  I also noticed a few matching older couples that were walking the 5K which was so adorable. And lots of runners in their teens and twenties as they are the ones most likel...

I finally had a new race on the schedule!  Since my last race was the Princess Half back in February, I was itching for a new one!  I had originally signed up for a race down in Provo.  It was a 5K for the refugee effort.  Jackson was going to run the 5K with me and we were going to join my sister, brother, and nieces.  However, I later learned that our Herriman Days fell on the same day.  I love supporting the local town races, so I chalked up the Refugee race fee as a donation to the cause, and I signed for the Fort Herriman Days 5K.  I also signed up all three kids for the mile race. I love when races are so close that I can leave my house 10 minutes before it starts!   The course was downhill for the first mile and I flew down (well for me 8:26 pace is flying haha).  Then the uphill started, and I was trying to maintain a 10:00 pace (which was my goal for the race).  Because I have been doing walk/run intervals and I've been t...

So not so very bright and way too early we made our way to the Epcot parking lot.  First order of business was to find the shortest port-a-potty line.  Amanda was feeling very weak and queasy and it was becoming kind of clear that running 13.1 miles was not going to happen easily at the very least. And then I came out to find her laying on the floor :( She finally called it that running the race was just not going to happen.  It was such a hard and sad decision, but the only option really.  I went and found a medical person and Amanda was wheeled into the medical tent. So with a heavy heart I made my way over to our corral.  I honestly felt like crying.  I couldn't believe that this race we had been planning for so long wasn't going to happen with her.  However, I kept thinking about the total blast we had had already.  Getting to see HP for the first time with her was amazing! So it was time to face the race solo.  I...