WHAT AN ADVENTURE?!

Dani, Shannon, Tiff

Me, Dani, Tiff

This running stuff has been the biggest adventure! We have seen some unbelievable sunrises when we are running, so I wanted to capture a picture of one. Of course the morning I took my camera, it was overcast and you couldn't see anything but dark, gray clouds. After running with my camera for 15 miles, I was going to get a picture no matter what!!! We had to take two pictures to get us all since there is no one else crazy enough to be out and about at such a crazy hour. This is a picture of us on one of our long runs that we started at 4:30 a.m.....crazy!!!!!!
I totally had to take a picture of us because this has been an adventure I never want to forget (actually I don't know how I ever could)!! This is what we look like every morning when we hit the streets running. It would be easy to mistake us for miners or railroad workers, but nope, we are just runners!!! It is so hard to roll out of bed when my alarm goes off at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m. but once we head out it is a blast. Who knew you could have so much fun so early in the morning?!

We have ran through it all too! We have ran in single digit temperatures, lots of wind, snow and rain. Some of my favorite runs have been in blizzards. Nothing like snow blowing in your face so hard you can't even see!!! :) Oh, and how about the dogs?! We should be called heroes for the dogs that we have conquered! It is true, some of them have just been little poodle like dogs, but still, it is a dog with a fierce bark!! :) We have had lots of laughs too! Things might seem funnier than they really are when it is so early in the morning, but we have had some good laughs! Then there is the whole being pitch dark factor. I am soooo scared of the dark so I can't hardly believe that we are out running, sometimes in the middle of nowhere, in the pitch dark. We know that there is no one else around but we have heard some of the scariest noises!

The marathon has crept up on me way faster than I wanted it too. We did our last little run this morning and now we rest for two days and then it is the BIG race. Do I feel ready? Not at all! Am I nervous? I am scared to death! The marathon seemed so far away and I thought I had plenty of time to train. But when you have everything else going on in your life, and get a stress fracture in your leg, it kinda interfers with training. I feel like there is so much more that I should do before the race but it is too late! When I came home this morning from our run, Todd asked me if I was going to cry. I felt like I could have! This has been more than just running for me. I have made great friendships and I have accomplished things that I never thought I would. I hope I can say that about this marathon too!!

I have truly enjoyed running so much! I know this adventure is not over and we will keep making great running memories, but I am sad that this part of it is over. It has been a blast getting ready for my first marathon. I am not sad however, that we won't have to wake up at 4:30 anymore! It will also be nice to get the whole "running gang" back together. Since we have all been training for different races, we have been on different training schedules and it will be fun to run altogether again!

I can't gaurantee that I won't be crawling across the finish line at my marathon, but I know I can finish because of all the support I have. Todd has been so encouraging and supporting. Then there is all the support that I get from all the gals. Good luck to everyone else in your own races!!! We are going to have a way fun girls' weekend!!!

Oh, and one last thing. If anyone has anything that needs to be discussed or a problem that needs to be solved, let me and Shannon know. Don't worry, we have a good 4 or 4 1/2 hours that we can be discussing it! Ha Ha I can't wait...Ogden here we come! :)