Salt Lake City Half

My attempts to keep my life not-busy, have failed miserably. So, I am blogging again. And embracing the busy-ness. And turning a blind eye to the corners of my life that will inevitably get dusty. (My house for example...) But I do it because it's good busy-ness. And fun. Happy Monday to everyone!

On Saturday we ran a Half Marathon. (We, as in myself, my Steve, my friend, my sister Chelle, and at the very last minute, my friend's son.) We roped him into running the race at 7:30 on Friday night - and then told him we'd pick him up at 5:00 the next morning. But he ran it. It was his very first, and he finished in under two hours.

The Salt Lake City course is great. (I only recommend the HALF - the full makes me want to poke my eyes out.) The first couple of miles take you up and down rolling hills, through some of Salt Lake's best old neighborhoods, and a park nestled into the foothills. At mile five or six, the course runs you through downtown Salt Lake, where you hit your last big uphill, and then it gradually flattens out to the finish. It's a really fun run.

Half marathons, and marathons can be so tricky. You train for months, and months - and at the last minute something can change and unravel everything. My sister Chelle injured her foot, and couldn't run for month leading up to the race. My friend developed bronchitiis two weeks before. And Steve's training consisted of only one nine miler. (I kept waiting for the proverbial piano to fall, but I think it's been hitting piece by piece over the past couple months. Keys. Strings. Chords... The bench fell on Sunday - but it was after the race. So it wasn't a problem!)

But what I love about these races? You do them anyway. You work with the unravel. And the race is challenging, but when you finish - you get a medal. It's the only challenge in my life where I receive instant recognition, and instant gratification.

And instant relief too. The water right afterwards was amazing. 

Happy Monday! It's good to be back!