My first race

Did my first race today! I can't tell you how excited I am. Still! It's all over now, obviously, but I can't stop thinking about it. Like childbirth, the pain is quickly forgotten and all you can remember is the exhilaration and the beauty of the end product once it is all over.

There was a lot more uphill running than I had expected and it was not easy. In fact most of the route was long stretches of either up or down - only about 10 minutes of it was on flat ground. I was very slow to start with but was comforted by the fact that many more people started walking before I did! A short part of it was on trail. At first it was not good since my soles were too thick for it and the rocks were slippery. But on the less rocky parts I gained some confidence and was really enjoying it. I felt strong, fast, and free. It was quite wonderful.

B ran all the way with me, keeping at my snail pace. We finished in around one hour twenty minutes. I had aimed for an hour thirty so it wasn't too bad!