After today, I am convinced I have a loose screw somewhere. I decided to run a 10K this morning. First 10k race I have ever run, although surely not my last! However, this was not your normal 10k. No, this race was mostly through the jungle. And I am not talking path through the jungle, I am talking rocky, twisty, vine-covered jungle. At one point, I grabbed a branch two seconds before my head would have gone smashing into it. and it has been raining so much here that it was slippery. But boy was it a fun race! and it ended pretty well too!
So here’s out the morning went. Woke up at 4:30am. Ate breakfast. A wonderfully amazing couple named Ben and Rebecca picked me up at 5:30am to take me to the race. We get there, get signed in, and then the announce starts giving instructions. First thing he says is, well, it is definitely longer than a 10k. Great, I think..not only am I running through the jungle, but now I am running more than 6.2 miles. So we start at 6:30am and run uphill for the first 30 minutes. Literally straight up a hill. But trust me, that was the best part of the run. We make our first turn and I get lost! Leave it to me..thank goodness I only got lost for about 2 mins and turned around and found the correct path through the jungle. I would say half the course was through the jungle. It was tough-and so slick I walked quickly through most it. Then a gravel path that was again straight uphill. More jungle, only this time going downhill. Only thing worse than running uphill. Running downhill esp. when its wet. You have to tiptoe down to avoid slipping and falling flat on your back! When I finally made it back to the road I have never been more happy to run on concrete in my life! Finally something I could pick up some speed on. However, I was also very tired at this point. But I eventually found and passed the one runner I had been pacing with and ended up coming in second for the women!! Best part about it-I won $50! and I have never felt better about accomplishing a race.
I did it! I ran over 6 miles through the jungle and while it was hard, it was BEAUTIFUL! I will have to try to find some pictures so you can see exactly what I am talking about!
So one race down, many more to go! Next weekend-easy 4.7 mile run up and hill and back down!! My new friends Ben and Rebecca are going to pick me up and we are all going to do it!
