one week! EEK!

last week i ran my first ever trail race.

I LOVED IT!

seriously, it was so much fun.

i ran the 14k race at The Limberlost Challenge.

*flashback to 2 weeks before*

i agreed to run 26k on the Limberlost trails with my husband.

that would be almost 2 full loops of the 14k trail.

so we got a babysitter and headed out early saturday morning.

i was nervous. 

and excited.

26k.

on a trail.

i always heard that a trail feels much longer than a road run.

in fact the 14K trail loop is pretty much equivalent to 20k road.

so, after having run a half marathon on road and knowing how my body hurt, i was nervous to run a 26k trail.

we took the first loop quite slow.

we walked the uphills, and ran everything else.

i stopped to admire the view a couple times.

i held a conversation with dan the whole time.

i loved running through the beautiful trail.

we got to the car.

i took a quick stop at the outhouse and we refilled my camelbak

and away we went for lap 2.

"what was i doing? 2 laps is crazy!"

the bugs were bad on the road leading back to the trail.

but, back on the trail we headed.

i was a little sore, but ready to do it.

i was determined to have a good attitude no matter what.

i was running in a beautiful place, with my husband.

i was going to enjoy it.

i sped up for the second lap.

no stopping to admire views.

running up the smaller hills, or at least part of the hills.

still walking the big or long ones.

still chatting some of the time with dan.

my body felt great.

i felt great.

i sprinted out of the trail to the car.

i had done it!

i had run 26k on the trail and felt better than i did when i had finished the half marathon.

first loop was run in 2h30m. 14k

second loop was 2h1m.  12k

*fast forward to last weekend*

it was race day!

i wasn't feeling too nervous, since i knew i ran 2 loops and felt really good.

but it is a race, so the nerves were still there.

Dan was running the 56k, it started at 8am.

(see his final results HERE *third place)

my race started at 8:40am.

there were some MARs runners in it so i had a chance to see them before i lined up

and away we went.

i kept my pace slow at the beginning.

i just planned on enjoying every moment.

there were so many people running it so the trail got congested at moments.

i began to work my way up from the back.

the other runners were great.

i ran with some, when i liked their pace.

i had conversations with some.

i met some who had run the race a few times, and others who were like me and running their first.

it was such a great time.

while i was running with one lady she made a comment about how she didn't think she could do it in 2 hours this year.

i realized i wanted to do it in 2 hours.

so off i went.

within the last 6k i caught up to one lady i had run with at the beginning.

i liked her pace, so i stayed with her.

she said she didn't know if she'd make it in under 2 hours.

i told her lets try for it.

so we encouraged each other and aimed for 2 hours, or a little less.

we ran out of the trees and to the finish line.

there were my kids and my parents cheering my name!

i loved having them there.

then i heard a couple MARs runners cheer for me as i passed the line.

2hours 3minutes!

(see my final result HERE *142nd)

i had so much fun.

we hung out the rest of the day waiting for my husband.

i saw him at the end of lap 2, then lap 3.

finally he came in just below 6 hours.

he had a goal to try to beat 6 hours and he did it!

so now we come to this week.

i have 1 week left before my big 40k run on my 40th birthday.

that will be almost 3 full laps of the same trail i just spoke about.

i can do 1...i can do 2...3 laps is scary.

but i'm as trained as i am going to be.

i am going to have fun and enjoy each lap.

i will enjoy the beauty of God's creation as i run through it all.

i will bring Chester (my phone) so i can get a couple photos on the run 

-because that's what i do-

i will chat with dan.

i will think about the hard work that got me there.

i will think about the accomplishment it is.

i will thank the Good Lord for the ability to run at all.

i will thank Him for my friends and family who have supported me on this crazy adventure.

i am going to hurt at times.

i may even cry.

but i will do it.

i will head out on each lap and take it as it's own lap.

i will kill mosquitos

so...

one week.

craziness.

can't believe it's already so close.