Better to Laugh

I was playing badminton with the kids on Friday, and today my right ankle is swollen and left knee hurts.  Apparently, I can run/walk 26.2 miles over rough, hilly terrain, but I can’t play games where you have to run a few feet and stop suddenly.  What is up with that?  I hope it doesn’t take long to heal; I want to RUN!

Terry and I completed our first marathon (a trail marathon) yesterday!  He could have finished much faster, but he stayed with me.  I am thankful that he did; I needed his support, especially at miles 18-23.  He encouraged me to run 3/4 of the last mile so that I could beat 7 hours.  God is so good; I didn’t know if I had enough physical or mental preparation, but He saw me through.  Thanks, also, to all the people who supported me; Kara, the signs were a great inspiration!  Race details are below.

• 26.2  –  # of miles completed
• 06:58:49  –  time it took to complete
• 26  –  # of stream/water crossings
• 17  –  degrees at start of race
• 1  –  fall on frozen, icy mud
• too many to count  –  hills, mud bogs, jumps, leaps
• a day in the woods finishing my first marathon with my Honey  –  priceless

Yesterday, I did not have my finest hour.  The new copier at work would not do what I wanted it to do, and I had a complete breakdown.  I think fatigue and PMS had something more to do with it, but that copier not doing what I wanted was the final straw.  The tears came streaming down, and I could not stop them.  My friend, Kara, came in and thought the tears were about my father-in-law, who just had surgery.  She laughed after I told her about the copier, and she said, “Well, I am so relieved to know it isn’t your father-in-law.”  The weird thing, I felt so much better afterward.  Sometimes you just need a good cry.

Today, I ran a 9.3 mile trail race at Fort Ben.  I ran my fastest long run time pace at 11.27 minutes per mile.  That isn’t breaking any land speed records, but for me, through the woods and on hills, it is awesome!!  I did strain my ankles, but I think it is minor.  Oh, and I almost got lost again (see Running Through the Woods blog).  I was looking down, so that I wouldn’t stumble on some tractor tire ruts, when somebody started yelling, “Left,” and I looked up to see I was headed for the horse barn.  The race was so much fun; it was a perfect morning for running.   My goal is to always try and not be last.  Today, I was second to last, but I wasn’t last!  :0)