Night Runs

I was so nervous for my second run. The longest I ran during my training was 6.1 miles and my night run was going to be 6.6 and it was mostly uphill. Well while we were resting Tom (who was our 6th runner) made a comment stating that he wished he had longer legs. He is an amazing runner and with the way the vans were set up his legs where not hard for him. So Kenna came up with an idea of he and I switching our second legs. So he would run my 6.6 mostly uphill leg and I would run his 5.4 mostly downhill leg. I was so excited by this idea and so happy he said ok. So we headed to our exchange and we were all ready to run again. Since we started so early our 2nd van finished running their first legs just after 3pm. So our van started our second legs while it was still hot out. Yvonne (who was our first runner) ran her leg so fast so Dan started his 2nd leg earlier than we all expected. Most of the time your second legs are in the evening or night time so it is cooler out. But our first two runners still had to deal with the heat. And I was the only runner in our van who ran in pants since it was still so warm for all of us. After our second legs we drove to our next exchange to get some sleep. I think most of us got about an hour or two of good sleep except for Dan who was so wiped out from the heat and running he slept for almost 6 hours.

Dan's second leg was 9.3 miles his longest leg. He started at 4:15 and it was still over 85 degrees outside.This was Dan finishing his night run, he started with the sun beating down on him and finished with the sun going down. He ran 9.3 miles and did it in 1 hour 41 mins. He did so amazing. Part of his leg ran on a Horse trail and the heat and dust was a bit much for him especially since he ran out of water. He didn't have the pace he wanted but with the heat I think 10 1/2 min pace is awesome. Kenna all ready for her night run. She has really helped me with my weight loss I am so proud of her and how much weight she has lost. I love this photo of her because it shows how tiny she is! Kenna I love you thank you for keeping me motivated!So I began my 2nd leg feeling really great. I really enjoyed running down hill and I was making such good time. I ran the first 4 miles in an hour. The fastest I had ever ran before. I felt amazing and as I started walking up a tiny hill having my water break a women joined me. She and I started talking about good we each felt and she asked how far we had gone since I was wearing my running watch and she didn't have one. I told her we were at 4.3 miles and we only had about a mile left. That is when my race took a dramatic turn for the worst. She so sweetly turned to me and said "Honey, they switched this leg it is now 7.1 miles not 5.4" WHAT I couldn't believe it I asked her if she was joking and she said she would never kid about something like that. She said that they had added a paper in the packet we had received changing our leg. I was completely devastated. I had pushed myself so hard the first 4 miles that I didn't have much left and instead of only a mile left I had almost 3. So that is what I get for breaking the rules and switching legs. I had trained expecting to run 6.6 but I since I thought it was only 5.4 I pushed so hard that I didn't know how I was going to make it. So I said a quick prayer and asked for the strength to finish!
This was the map of what I ran. The down hill was so great but the 1.7 miles they added to the end really kicked my butt. Handing off to Tara so that van #2 could start their night runs. I finished my 7.1 miles in 1 hour 50 mins, not the best time, but I finished! I passed off at 10:58pm. When I ended I was so upset about what had happened but then this amazing thing happened. I realized that the Lord had helped me finish even when I thought I had nothing left, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and was just proud that I had just ran 7.1 miles, the furthest I had ever ran before!