First race DONE! Whew talk about a challenge. Well I may not have broken any land speed records this last weekend I'm supremely happy about it. I have always been super freaked out by trail runs, I think, you want me to do what?!?!?! Run up a mountain, across streams, near cactus and rattlesnakes...a sane person would stick to their road races, and thats what I did, until Saturday.
The race was incredible, the starting line was the sun rising right over the mountain, all around me giant saguaro cactus, the rustling of the just waking animals. It took my breath away, instantly I knew why people were crazy enough to do it. There is no better way to enjoy this amazing world than to run it. Around mile 5, I turned to the one person within sight, that this is crazy, this isn't a run, it should be called a mountain climb. And thats what we did, up and down, hundreds of feet at a time, down through washes and gorges, teetering on the edges of mountains barely seen by any other human beings.
Beyond the amazing race and the intense feeling of accomplishment as I sprinted across the finish line, this race had deep meaning for me. It was the day I was supposed to marry the man of my dreams. While I didn't get the wear the Pronovias gown, Manolo Blahniks, and Harry Winston Jewels I had rented, I had my day. Running across the finish isn't quite walking down the aisle, but the thing is, you really can't compare apples and oranges. After the race I meet a group of incredibly inspiring women, the Cave Creek Running Chicks, RC3. They reminded me of what truly matters in life- Never Giving Up. These women had been through it all and yet had so much vigor and lust for life. Thank you RC3 for showing me what it is to be a beautiful strong woman.
I had to wear the veil, I missed out on all the rest. But these nice firefighters agreed to pose with me and my champagne- I do not recommend this as a recovery drink!
