My First Race!

I've never been a runner. So this running thing is somewhat new to me. Go here to read about what my relationship with running has been like.

So this half marathon is getting close. Just 5 weeks away. Eeek!

I'm pretty comfortable running 7 miles. Now I just need to get comfortable running 10 miles and I think I will be okay. I can't believe I only have 5 weeks to get to that point. My goal is to run the half without stopping. I don't care if I average 12 minutes miles. I just want to run without stopping. I'm nervous.

My running mentor Meredith said that it would be a good idea to get a race or two under my belt before the half so I could get a feel for what running a race is like.

The weather here has finally cooled down so that running in the mornings is nice again (about 70 degrees). So I decided to try and find a race to run. A nice little 5k. And on Wednesday I found one. So I signed up for it and ran it today! It was the "Remember 9/11 5k". I like what the race stands for and the proceeds go towards the National Guard.

I went down to Westgate (where the Cardinal's stadium is) and got my number. Wow. Nothing makes you feel more like a real runner than pinning that number to your shirt! Tripp and the kids were still home, sleeping. So I didn't have a cheering section. But I didn't really need one. 5k is just 3.1 miles so I wasn't nervous to run it. Just wanted to know what it's like to race.

There were only about a couple hundred people there and a lot of them walked it. When the race started, I set my sights on this gal that I had chatted with in the restroom. She passed me in the beginning and then I passed her and we kind of went back and forth. Towards the end I remember passing her but I didn't see her again.

Before I knew it, there was the finish line! I was trotting along at my normal pace, I was very consistent through the whole race. Didn't really feel like I was pushing myself too much. But at the end, when that finish line is in sight, you can't help but push it! So I picked up the pace the rest of the way.

I crossed the finish line in 27:04. The unofficial results said that I finished in 39th place and averaged a 8:47 mile!! I didn't know I could do that! I didn't know I could run that fast! Then, about 3 minutes later, came the girl I had set my sights on in the beginning.

And what made it even sweeter, was that my mother-in-law and her best friend were waiting for me at the finish line. Cheering for me. Congratulating me. Encouraging me. Yeah, it was just 3 little miles. I run that all the time and don't need someone to puff up my ego. But there's something about having a familiar face or two greet you at the finish line of a race.

So thank you, Elaine and Kim! You made my day. Thanks for being there!

Pinetop with the Hopes

Over Labor Day weekend, we were invited to go to Pinetop, AZ (about a 4 hour drive northeast of Phoenix) with our friends who have a cabin up there. It's a cute place that Jenna's grandparents bought in 1966. The cabin has been in their family ever since!

We left at about 4:15 in the afternoon on Friday (after Ryan got out of school). The drive took a little longer because coming through Show Low, we missed the turn to Pinetop. So that added about 45 minutes to our drive, oops! The kids were pooped!

Someone said it looks like the boys have been shot! They need one of those neck pillows!

These cute little sunflower flowers (black-eyed susans, perhaps?) were everywhere. They were so pretty!

This decorative deer is in the front of the cabin, the kids couldn't resist "riding" it!

Jenkins kids and Hope kids

We did something that is unheard of in Phoenix lately: spent lots of time OUTSIDE! The weather was perfect, mid to low 80s

This is Kelly and Johnny Walker, good friends of Zach & Jenna Hope. Tripp, Zach and Johnny (and Jenna too!) all went to high school together.

Zach's idea of the perfect camping trip: a stogie and a beer while parked in a lawn chair

Tripp & Jenna - that's not how you play horseshoes...

The kids taking a break from being outside to watch a movie

We ventured to the Family Fun Park for some go-cart riding! This is our whole group (minus me, who took the pic): Tripp and our kids, Johnny & Kelly Walker, Trish and Ben Carver (Ben also went to school with Zach, Jenna, Tripp & Johnny) with their kids, Zach & Jenna with their kids Micah and Reagan

Casey and Micah

There is a creek near the cabin property, so we had fun exploring. Ben caught a bunch of crawdads

The Hopes

Emily watching a Princess movie. She is obsessed

Casey & Micah having a pillow fight

I love this picture of Casey. It was taken just before he got stung 4 times by a yellow jacket that flew up his pant leg! Poor guy, but he was tough

Tripp & Ryan - look at how tall our boy is getting!

Reagan & Ryan getting the fire pit ready for our campfire that night

And we end with a family photo - where you can tell that we all just woke up with our puffy eyes! Oh well, this one won't be on our Christmas card :-)