Prayerful Exercise

God continues to teach me a lot about accepting myself where I am, not comparing myself to others, and surrendering control of everything to Him.

Just this week I had a big reminder (sort of a smack in the face) that I have a long way yet to grow.  I was running with a dear friend and my old thinking patterns:  I'm not good enough, I'm weak, I should be better at this, I'm a failure, Everyone thinks I'm awful, I'm not just a bad runner...I'm a bad person, started taking over my mind.  It's hard to explain how quickly and aggressively they avalanche out of control into a huge mess inside of me.  Before I know it, every negative thought or experience I've ever had about running (no shortage of those!) has set up residence in my head.  My body feels like it weighs a thousand pounds, my throat constricts, my legs feel like they might give out from under me.

Because I trust my friend, and I share a lot of my thoughts and inner struggles with her, I told her what was happening on this particular run.  We slowed to a walk and did the only sensible thing at that moment.  We prayed.  

I really invited God into that mess that was going on in my head and asked that the truth about who I am would push all of the junk out of the way.  Well, actually my friend asked.  I was busy choking back tears.

A minute or so after her prayer, I felt like jogging so I broke into an easy trot and while before I had been struggling painfully, this time we just jogged a nice easy pace all the way back home without any problem. 

I've been trying to pray before and after any exercise that I do so I can keep a truthful mindset about my identity and the purpose of my exercise instead of letting my negative thought patterns carry me off down the wrong path.

It is becoming second nature to ask God into my time of exercise.  My body is his dwelling place.  Loving my body, being appreciative of everything it is and all it can do, caring for it with stretching and exercise, are acts of worship.  Being thankful, asking God to heal and strengthen areas of my body, being aware of the physical feelings, limitations, and reactions I experience are ways of affirming I am his creation.  He knows my body better than I do!  

When I pray, exercise becomes more about being fit and healthy, surrounded by God's love and available to carry out his will in my life.  When I don't pray, exercise is about fitting into a certain size, looking sexy, and running really fast and well so everybody, including me, will think I'm awesome.  

I much prefer the first option.  It's way more fulfilling, and comes with a sense of freedom.

Old habits die hard, but slowly and surely I'm letting go of the negative past and embracing the amazing  present.  So much freedom and contentment is mine for the taking when I choose it!

A Year of Running

Oh, Running (shaking my head)...you and I have quite a history.  I could say we've had a lot of ups and downs together, but actually we had mostly downs until this year came along and I figured I would try to change things.

The truth is, I've had a negative connotation with Running for as far back as I can remember.  As a kid in elementary school I was the one who couldn't run very well.  In high school, my inability to run a mile kept me from making the basketball team.  When I first started running for exercise a few years ago it was in the midst of some toxic relationships, and that tarnished Running for me even further.

I suppose my biggest problem with Running has to be my persistence in trying to find my value in how I perform as a runner.  That's never going to work out well for me because...I suck as a runner!  Ha!  (Really, it isn't my forte.)  Seriously, though,  I put all kinds of conditions on myself and feel like I have to meet them in order to be a worthwhile person.  I know, it sounds really dumb when you say it out loud, but for some reason that lie is so easy for me to believe in my mind.

I could just give up Running and then all the pressure, confusion, anger, bad feelings and wrong thinking would disappear, right?  Wrong!  If I didn't have this twisted issue with Running, I would see it popping up somewhere else.  Because the truth is this isn't really about Running.  That's just one of the ways it manifests itself.  Until I can embrace the truth of who I am and that all my value comes from the fact that God created me, I will look for ways to build myself up through the ways I perform, succeed, or gain admiration from others.  That's not a healthy way to live.

So I keep on running...to remind myself that it doesn't define me.  And it's a pretty big mind battle all the time.  But I have faith that one day I will be able to shed the weight of my negative thinking and run completely free...completely at peace with who I am without any fear that I won't live up to the ridiculous standards I'm setting in order to think I am a valuable person. (Or to prove to others I am a valuable person.)

One way I tried to change my focus was to run an event with a different person every month this year.  What a year it has been!  I wanted to make Running about relationship, encouragement, acceptance, and joy.  And in many ways my friends and family helped me do that this year with their love and support.  To each of you who ran with me this year I offer my deepest, most heartfelt thanks.  I literally could not have done this without you.  Your participation with me in this endeavor means the world to me.  I am full of gratitude.

In 12 months, I ran 44.7 miles with friends and family.  Some of those miles were in the freezing cold (sorry Greta) and some were in the blazing heat (sorry Emily).  I ran events all over the area plus Tyler, Oklahoma, and Palo Alto, CA.  Some were short (1 mile with the boys) and some were long (6.2 and 6.5 both with Jackie who is a real trooper.)  Some felt great and others were a chore to finish.  Some were with seasoned runners and others were with first time 5K runners (way to go Alexis, Emily, Erin, and Ava!)  I ran on my birthday.  I ran with my precious daughter.  I ran with my big strong boys.  I went on a romantic "Runcation" with my sweet husband.  I ran a 6 mile event that had 5 water stops and I ran a 5K in August that had zero water available. (WTH?)  I ran in the morning and at night.  Every race was different.  Every running partner brought something unique and beautiful to the moment.

Because of this year-long goal, some of my fears and problems with Running melted away.  I still have issues with Running.  I probably will for some time.  But I am slowly learning how to let go of Fear and let Love take its place because my heart is full of wonderful memories of time spent with friends and family.  Each of you has helped me get a little farther on the path to Freedom.

Dec. Run: The Dallas Marathon Relay

Also known as The Relay that Relay Didn't Happen.

After a long year of running a different event with a different person each month I had planned to end with a bang by running a marathon...well, part of a marathon.  Months ago I signed up 4 of us to run the 5 person marathon relay: Cody, me, and our good friends Paul and Jackie.  Now if you do the math, you'll find that we were already skimping on the people per race leg ratio.  The plan was to have Jackie do the first leg, then Paul run the second leg, then Paul and Cody run the 3rd leg together, then Cody run the fourth leg, finally I would finish with the last leg.

Unfortunately, Cody got the flu.  He was miserably sick with fever, coughing, aches, and exhaustion.  Suddenly our people to race leg ratio was even worse, and Paul decided he really didn't want to run 2 legs by himself even if we could find another person to handle Cody's leg.  Our relay team fell apart a day or so before the event.

I was feeling sad about it, unsure of what to do when it was suggested that Jackie and I just run the final leg of the race together.  At first that didn't appeal to me, but eventually I decided to go for it.

Jackie and I leisurely arrived at the starting point of the last leg, parked her car, and strolled over to the crowd of people waiting to run.  After a few light stretches, we jumped into the street and took off as inconspicuously as possible.

We jumped into the crowd of people on pace to finish the marathon at a time of around 4 hours, so they were cruising at a nice speed.  We got passed...constantly.  And I had a bad run physically, it just wasn't a good day for my body.  But Jackie encouraged me to keep going.  It was nice running on Swiss Avenue, passing bands and people cheering.  After an hour and 25 minutes of jogging and walking we crossed the finish line.  That was the longest 6.5 miles of my life I think.

The end of the race was incredible.  Deep crowds were lining the sides of the course.  There were tons of people!  Everyone was cheering, holding signs, raising cameras...it was a flurry of noise and color and movement.  I had never seen that kind of finish line atmosphere before.  It was thrilling.

So things didn't turn out as planned, but I still got to do my leg of the race.  Even better, I got to run it with a friend.  And it was still an exciting ending to a year long goal.  I will recap the year of running- the friends, the events, the highs and lows- in another blog.  But for now, enjoy this little trailer I whipped up using iMovie.

Nov. Run: Erin and the Run with the Stars 5K (OKC Part 2)

My friend Erin is so special to me.  I've known all year long that she would be someone who would love to support my plan of running a different event with a different person each month.  And I knew she was a person I would want to spend some quality time with...running, or otherwise!  I can't believe we made it to November before doing a race together, but it pays to be patient because we had a blast!

Erin and I enjoyed driving around OKC and then running through some of the neighborhoods around the University of Oklahoma campus.  It was a medium sized race (with a strangely high number of elderly people it seemed...)We got some really nice long sleeve technical t-shirts and some random "stuff" in our goodie bags.  Erin got socks.  I didn't get any socks, but I got a plastic desktop pencil organizer.  Hmmmm.

Thankfully the gym was open to us before the race because it was cold and windy!  Later when I took a hot shower, my hands were in pain when the water would touch them.  I didn't realize how cold they had gotten until then.  Thankfully, after a hot cup of coffee, Erin and I were both feeling back to normal.

The race was a great way to start the day Saturday.  We had fun talking, seeing the cheering by-standers, and getting some good exercise.  After a quick stop back at the hotel, we were ready to explore more of the city...

We clean up pretty good.

Thank you, Erin, for running this 5K with me.  And thank you for being a loving, supportive friend!

October Run: Cody and the Theta Breakers 5K

This is hard to believe, but Cody and I had never run an event together before this weekend.  We have run the same event once, but we didn't stay together.  This past weekend we ran a 5K in California and stayed together during the run (except for the last 50 yards or so when I took off and smoked him.)

The best thing about this run was that it took place in CALIFORNIA.  Not just any old town in CA, but in Palo Alto, the home of Stanford University.  This place was our stomping grounds back in the day almost 15 years ago when Cody was getting his Masters Degree and I was teaching music part time in the local school district.  Stanford has a lovely campus.

The 5K actually took place on campus because it was hosted by some sorority.  Unfortunately it didn't include paths by the most famous or beautiful architecture on campus like the church above.  But that was okay since we had already explored the day before.

It was a really fun race.  A good crowd participated, and there were plenty of sorority girls cheering us on as we ran.  I almost set a new PR and Cody finished 3rd in his age group.  After the race we went back to the hotel to shower and dress quickly so we could make it to church.  We got to visit with people there we had not seen in ages.  It was such a fun morning.  The temperature was perfect, the setting surreal, and the company a special treat.  I see lots of future races for me and Cody.  We love running together.

But wait, the race wasn't the only fun thing we did in California.  I have a million things to share about this trip.  It was one of the best get-aways I have ever experienced.  You can expect quite a few blog posts about our travels...coming soon!

September Run: Nate, Lucas, & the Run Proud

One day my two handsome boys will be running laps around their old mom...

I'm not sure I want to think about them at 6 feet tall, having sports practice at the high school, going on dates, eating more food in a week than I can imagine...

Right now, I'll just keep them close and little.  They still need my help crossing the street, and I like it that way!

We registered for the Run Proud fun run at the Cooper Aerobic Center but the rain was falling this morning, and I couldn't drag my "babies" out to run in the rain.  So I picked up our shirts and the finisher ribbons they would have received at the event and we ran a mile in our neighborhood together later in the morning.  It was so much fun.  The boys were energetic and excited.  They happily waved to every dog-walking, bike-riding, calm strolling neighbor we passed.

I'm pretty much on cloud nine right now.  Just thankful for two sweet, healthy, precious sons.  We had a great run together.  I love spending time with them.

And it's ok with me that they grow up.  Even if it means they will run 6 minute miles and I can't keep up with them anymore.  Something tells me they might be willing to do a "slow run" with their old mom every once and a while.

Plea

If you read my blog, then you know I'm running an event every month with a different person...it has been such an amazing journey so far this year.  I mean, I have done some very fun races with some very fun people.  I'm smiling just thinking about those experiences.  That is going to be some year end recap!  I'm even headed to CA and OK soon for running events.

I've got October and November lined up already, but for some reason I am having a hard time making a date with someone for September.  I've got a great race picked out on Sept. 29th at the Cooper Aerobic Center.  This race looks super nice with plenty of food, booths, etc.  (And a cute t-shirt, score!!)

So here is my plea to those of you reading this...if you have ever, ever considered doing a 5K or the idea of running this event interests you the slightest bit, please let me know!  I know I've got some friends in other states that would happily run a 5K with me...if they were only closer.  Is there someone around town that has a secret desire to do a 5K that I know nothing about?  So far I've scheduled all my events by personal invitation...but there may be someone I am missing out on running with and this is your chance to let me know.

August Run: Emily (& Greta) and the Glow 5K

My friend Emily is a real trooper.  She doesn't run, but she was open-minded when I asked if she would do a 5K with me at some point this year.  I think she might have required only that it not be during the hottest month of the year.  So me, being the good friend that I am, requested that she run with me in none other than August...and then I played the birthday card as I begged her to do it.  You are probably wondering why she is friends with me at all.

Well, that's just the kind of person she is.  She is selfless, loving, encouraging, and I might as well mention she's one of the best listeners I've ever met.  I love spending time with Emily and her precious 1 year old daughter who is my BFF.  I don't like to brag, but Emily's baby kinda likes me, and you know babies are good judges of character.

When I happened across the Glow Run, I knew I had to do it.  It was on my birthday...a Friday night!  How often does that happen?  It was un-timed and put the emphasis on having fun instead of performance which is where my heart has been with this monthly running plan of mine all year.  It was going to be special, I just knew it!  I wanted some special people to run it with me and I got that.  Emily and Greta are wonderful friends to me.  I'm so blessed.

There were lots of firsts last night.  It was my first birthday run, Greta's first night event, and Emily's first 5K, period!  It was also the first 5K I've ever run where they ran out of water and had none to offer us after we had finished.  What race doesn't have piles and piles of bottled water available for it's runners, especially when it's over 90 degrees outside?

But, thirsty as we were, we made it to Afrah for some post race refreshments.  Afrah, a Mediterranean restaurant near my house, was hopping last night even when we left at 11 PM.  I had been wanting to try that place forever and was so glad to go there.  Now I'm looking forward to going back to try their famous lunch buffet sometime soon.  The highlight last night was the pistachio gelato...amazing!

I almost forgot to mention how we started the night at Aboca's, a delicious little Italian place.  The Veggie pizza and Appetizer Sampler plate were more than enough food for the three of us.  And the bottle of Syrah I brought along was tasty even if it wasn't the most healthy pre-race drink.

It was such a fun evening.  A memorable way to spend my 36th birthday for sure.  I am so thankful for beautiful, authentic friendships...a body that is healthy enough to jog, walk, dance, move...a heart that is learning to love others and to love myself...a family that supports and loves me...a God who pursues me without tiring...a joy born out of mourning and brokenness.  I'm just feeling overwhelmed with gratitude right now, for everything.

The Olympics and Me

Not much makes me feel lazier than sitting on the couch watching the Olympics.  There are all those fit, athletic competitors in the best shape of their lives doing all kinds of amazing feats while I eat a bowl of ice cream and sit in one spot for 3 hours.

To make it even worse, Cody's cousin is staying with us for a few weeks, and every night he does an hour or hour and a half workout.  Meanwhile, I'm still eating my ice cream.  Banana pudding ice cream by Blue Bell...it's really good.

So I decided to go do the treadmill at the gym a couple of nights instead of watching from the couch.  Thankfully my gym had tuned a few of it's televisions to the Games (they always have the most boring channels at my gym...I mean, they didn't even turn on the World Series back when that was going on, so I had worried they might leave it on C-SPAN instead of the Olympics.)

Anyway, I got going in my run and watched some great stuff.  The whole time I was watching I felt inspired like hey, look how hard they are working, and I only have to do a simple 3 mile run.  I've got it easy!  Except then a women's ping pong match came on and I couldn't really say that anymore.  I was definitely working harder physically than they were.  Ping Pong?  Give me a break.  At least it was interesting and didn't last too long.  Then fencing came on.  There's a sport I know nothing about.  I watched fencing for a solid 30 minutes and still don't understand it.  I felt like a moron because after watching an entire match, I still couldn't tell if the light going off on your side meant you got the point or lost the point.  In my defense, the score was tiny in the corner, the tv was not too close, and I was running, hello!

Then we got to the really good stuff.  Beach Volleyball.  I have to remind myself how tall that net is as I watch them jump effortlessly 80 or 90 times above it like it's nothing.  I have really enjoyed both beach and court volleyball in these Olympics.  And no, I'm not watching because of the skimpy outfits. It's getting a little annoying how they talk about that every time a women's beach volleyball match is about to begin.

After getting a couple of runs in this week, I started feeling better about my idle evenings on the couch. And, I'm feeling more prepared for the 5K I'm doing tomorrow night...on my birthday!  Yes, I'm spending my birthday evening doing a 5K, so I guess I'm not a total lazy slob.  I am so excited about this race tomorrow...the friends I am doing it with, the location, the theme, the accessories... yep, I said accessories!  You won't want to miss those pictures...coming soon!

Road Trip, Part 5...JULY RUN: Kari and the 10K Trail

While in Montana, Kari took us to a favorite trailhead near her house for a "little hike."  And by "little hike" I mean a 6 mile long adventure.  This worked out well though, because as you know, I'm doing a running event with a friend every month this year, and I really wanted to do something with Kari while I visited her in July.  Tiny Martinsdale doesn't have any 5K events (shocking!) so I knew we'd have to come up with our own thing.  Turns out we did a 10K "trail run" and we brought along our families!  I still can't believe every single one of the kids completed the long hike with nary a complaint and in good time.

Kari found a gooseberry bush along the trail and handed out samples to everyone.  She also found wild strawberries which the kids loved!

See the rocks in the distance?  That was our destination.  We had already been walking a long time when I took this photo and heard it was where we were headed.  I felt a momentary sense of panic.

There were tons of wildflowers on the mountain.  It really was a beautiful hike.  Kari and I are wearing the "event shirts" I created on customizedgirl.com.  (They have an easy to use interactive site and great prices!)

We finally made it to the canyon and caves.  Rumor has it there are old Indian paintings on some of the cave walls.  The water here is freezing cold.  I was praying no one would tumble over and get soaked because we would have had to listen to them whine the entire hike back.  We hung out here for a little while, but a dark cloud came up suddenly.  We didn't want to be stuck on the mountain during a storm so we started the journey back.

After we got away from the canyon, the weather lightened up a bit so we took our time and got a few pictures.

We had fun spotting and identifying animal tracks along the way.  We saw all kinds of tracks which Kari would dutifully identify immediately.  But then I spotted an unusual one.  I called her over and she and I marveled about what it could be as she exclaimed she had never seen anything like it before.  I was starting to think we had really found something amazing until Cody started laughing at us both.

Turns out he knew what had caused that track.

After the hike we were all exhausted.  And it was way past lunch time.  Thankfully we had brought picnic supplies, so we plopped down at this convenient table to eat and rest.

Cody and I agree that this hike was one of the highlights of our entire trip.  It was a fun, beautiful way to spend several hours and we sure felt a sense of accomplishment after it.

June Run: Ava and the Dadfest 5K

I am so proud of this girl!

It was exciting for me to run with my sweet daughter Ava as she raced in her first ever 5K.  The Dadfest race is a family focused event so there were tons of kids around and lots of activities before and after the race.  We looked around a bit, and before we knew it the 5K was about to begin.

I wasn't sure what to expect because Ava had not trained at all for running this distance.  I wondered how she would hold up.  Turns out, she has a lot of stamina and the will of a champion.  We jogged (ran is more like it...her default speed is quick) and walked at her command, and she pushed herself.  We probably ran almost half the race and fast-walked the rest.  She never once complained even when I could tell she was getting tired near the end.  She went strong all the way to the end and finished in 44:26 which I think is astounding!

But of course these races I am doing with the special people in my life this year are not about the finishing time, or the pace, or performance.  These races are about spending time with people I love.  So today was a special treat for me because spending a morning with Ava is wonderful.  She is so beautiful inside and out...her sweet spirit is a blessing to everyone who knows her.  

I loved sharing the joy of running with my girl today.  And I hope that I am setting an example for her that will encourage her to stay healthy and active without finding her value in her appearance or performance.  

Wanna Run?

I already have a May running event lined up with a friend on May 12, but this Dallas Running Club sponsored race on May 5 is calling to me. To tell the truth, it's the shirt design. I love it! I want to do the race and get the tech shirt they are giving out. I'm doing the 5 mile, not the 10 of course. And it's a cheap race, too. Only $15 for members (If you are a runner, but not a member of the DRC, you should seriously consider joining. It's inexpensive and there are lots of perks!)

Anyone want to get out there with me for a nice, bright jog on the morning of May 5th?

April Run: Alexis and the Be a Fan 5K

There's nothing like knocking out the April running event on the very first day of of the month!

And the event seemed fitting for April Fool's Day in a few ways. But before I get into all of that, let me introduce my running partner...Alexis!
I've only known Alexis for about a year, but she and her sweet family already mean a lot to me. She's the kind of person I love to hang out with: authentic, down-to-earth, and compassionate. I jumped at the opportunity to do a race with her, especially when I found out it would be her first 5K ever! It is so joyful for me to share in the experience of a first race event...I think of it as a huge honor. And she totally knocked it out of the park. She met all her goals for the race, even though she was barely recovered from a case of strep throat. That is determination, folks.

So how was the race fitting for April Fool's Day? Well, one would think a race benefiting Special Olympics would be a huge deal, but it was a tiny little race. There were less than 100 runners! I think they must have dropped the ball in advertising or something. There was an after party with a live band and great door prize drawings, but since a lot of runners leave as soon as they finish the race and there were so few people to begin with, the after party had about 25 people in attendance. When they called numbers for door prizes, they had to call about 15 numbers before someone present responded. They awarded medals for the top 3 male and female finishers in every 5 year age category, too! Which means almost everyone who ran won a medal. Several age categories didn't even have 3 runners. It just seemed a little...sad.

But the event did have a few things going for it like the cleanest port-o-potty I have ever used, and a booth sponsored by Sugar Ray's that was handing out the best cupcakes ever. It was also mostly on Katy Trail and the weather was perfect.
And of course, the best thing it had going for it was the opportunity for me to enjoy a beautiful run with a good friend. I felt inspired and motivated after running with Alexis. And once again I was reminded that the true joy of running isn't about comparing myself with others or finding my value in how well I can run...but in sharing experiences and enjoying the moment.

(Not Your Typical) Race Photos

We HAD to buy our race photos from the Azalea 10K because part of our good-time goofing off involved posing for photos. Any time we saw an event photographer, we tried to do something silly. Occasionally we just looked cute and normal like below...
But other times, this sort of thing happened...

Why is there a 2 year old in front of us? He's blocking our photo op, not to mention making us look bad. In our defense, I am fairly certain he was riding in a stroller for the majority of this 10K and had just been let out to run around a bit.
If this photo wasn't blurry, it would be my favorite. Get your rear in gear, Jerry Glover Photography!
In this shot, Jackie's husband Paul is in the background photographing us as we finish strong, totally smoking the old guy. And we beat that pesky 2 year old, also. The dry-erase board says it all.
I have never bought my race photos before, but this may be a new tradition for me. I can frame one of these along with my (50 Yard Dash) medal.

March Run: Jackie and the Tyler Azalea 10K

Meet Jackie.

Jackie and I have a weird history. We actually went to church together in Abilene during elementary school, but my family moved away and we never saw each other again until a year ago. We visited a new church, and her and her husband were the greeters that day. She thought I looked familiar, and we finally figured out the connection and remembered each other. I am SO glad I ran into her because she has become one of my dearest friends. I can't say enough nice things about Jackie...she is an amazing person! And, she sure knows how to have fun, even during a 6.2 mile run. I never knew a 10K could be so hilarious that I wouldn't want it to end!

I knew it was going to be good when she showed up with a dry-erase board and camera.

The race began and we proceeded to goof off in every way we could think of. Look at all those "serious" runners ahead of us. They are totally missing out!

We stopped to talk with the race volunteers.

We shouted back at and photographed crowds of spectators that cheered us on.

We thanked people for making signs.

We stopped to check the price on any houses that were for sale. It was a lovely area. We liked trying to guess the asking price before looking. We were waaaay off on this one.

We enjoyed the water stops, leisurely sipping our watered-down Gatorade.

We stopped at nice photo ops, especially if the flowers matched our outfits.

We celebrated each mile.

And we were even lucky enough to pass by two, yes TWO, garage sales. Of course we stopped to look. But, we didn't find anything.

There was a large police presence at the race which was a good thing because we saw some pretty crazy action at the start. We were running along a wide main street that had all the smaller side streets leading up to it blocked. There were volunteers and/or police at each intersection. One guy in a SUV drove up to the road block super fast. There was a policeman on a bike there yelling for him to stop. The guy then proceeded to make the most aggressive turn-around I had ever seen. He was gunning it, then throwing on the brakes. He even popped up on the curb of this fancy lawn. The whole time the policeman was yelling for him to stop, but the guy just drove off in a cloud of dust. That policeman started pedaling like mad and took off after him! It was incredible! We didn't get any pictures, probably because we were both shocked and staring slack-jawed at the scene.

Only one mile to go. My knee had started to hurt a little, but we were feeling strong.

The guys were waiting to cheer us on. They had finished long ago. While we were lolly-gagging around, they had raced...I mean, literally they raced as hard as they could...to finish because the loser had to buy dinner for everyone that night. Paul just edged out a win, though they both finished incredibly fast. We have some talented husbands!

We did it! 6.2 miles. Here's the cool thing- even with all the goofing around we did, we finished with a respectable time. In fact, it was a PR (that's personal record for all you non-running folks) for me. Though, I guess I should mention I've never run a 10K before, so any time would be my PR. But, it wasn't a bad time. We rocked.

After the race we strolled through an arts and crafts fair, then through some beautiful (open-to-the-public) backyards along the route back to the B & B. Aren't Paul and Jackie cute?

This yard wasn't exactly on the "Azalea Trail." Hahahahahaha. We couldn't resist photographing the ugliest yard in Tyler.

We finally got back and took a few celebratory photos with our medals. Oh yes, we got medals. But only because Jackie went up to the volunteers after the race and asked if they had any extra kids' 50 yard dash medals left.

That was a running event full of memories that I will always treasure. I can't help but smile when I think about it. Thanks, Jackie!