Folks, I've done it again.
When I was in middle school, we had to do a project for my social studies class. It involved researching a country in Europe of our choosing and basically learning everything there was to learn about it. We had to make ourselves a travel itinerary using well-known sites within the country, give a speech on what it's like to live there, and make a culinary masterpiece from the country. I chose Sweden because, well, have you looked at me lately?
(there's white, and then there's Kenzie)
Back to my Sweden story. Another part of the project was to make a full-size map of the country and color it, complete with major rivers, cities, landmarks, and mountains. Most of the students used crayons (like any normal student would do, and I really wanted to be one of them sometimes) and did a pretty basic map. But not me, oh no. I had to use sharpie to outline Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Then I used watercolor paints to paint it all, including the ocean (which took up a major part of the map). When I brought it to class on the day it was due, I didn't think much of it. Using paints made it way easier to color. I figured other people would have thought of that.
Wrong-o.
I lived up to my overachiever reputation once again, one which I didn't think I'd worked too hard to get. I've just always done my best on school projects. Just the way I am, I guess. But honestly, people, I don't try to be number one. I'm not a competitor. So my "110%" is actually just normal for me. It's not monumental to go above and beyond. I hope this doesn't sound cocky...
So when I signed up for the Rolling Hills Classic in Rexburg exactly 2 months ago, I was skeptical.
I'm not a competitor, so racing??? I actually paid money to run for 6 miles?
Race day was today. It's been rainy and cold for the past few days, so I was worried my first experience of racing (since running x-country 5 years ago) would be wet, which equals major chafing.
If you don't know what chafing is, just imagine scraping the inside of your leg with a fine-toothed comb until it starts bleeding.
I woke up this morning (actually, as you can probably guess, I was already awake...sleepless night for McFrenzy) feeling pretty ansy. I ate an apple, toast with peanut butter, and drank a little bit of water. The sun was shining, the sky perfectly clear. One less thing to worry about (just remember the fine-toothed comb...).
My old roommate Courtney and her friend Abby signed up yesterday, which was not only crazy-spontaneous but also really awesome for my morale.
After the 1st mile, the route started to curve uphill, which I expected (hence the name Rolling Hills Classic). But the hill didn't end. It kept going, and going, and when I got to the 5K turnaround, I almost said, "Hmmm, that looks like a nice idea for the sake of my lungs." But I didn't. I kept going, alllll the way up past the temple, past the water tower, to the end of what is probably President Clark's neighborhood. At the turnaround, the volunteers told me I was more than halfway done. That seemed about right.
That's when my burst of adrenalin kicked in. I started feeling good (minus those pesky blisters that live on my feet), and it helped that the rest of the course was downhill. I got back to the bottom of the temple and the cones hadn't moved, so of course I went back the way I had come, down the curvy hill. It was the longest 6 miles I'd ever run, and I've never even run 6 miles.
As I crossed the finish line, people were walking away with their medals and bread and bananas. Lots of people still cheered for me, though, which felt good because I felt like I had gone a tortoise's pace.
But wait...it gets better. If you're still reading this, I commend you for waiting until the sort-of climactic ending.
Courtney asked me if I had gone straight down the hill from the temple. I thought, "Straight down past the temple? You mean it was that easy?"
Yep. I went an extra mile. 7.4 miles, on accident.
So I'd like to echo what I said when I signed up for this race: what have I done?
Hot dog, I just ran 7.4 miles on accident! That made my piece of bread and 1/2 banana so much tastier. I would also like to put in a plug for running "naked," which is runner's lingo for running without music. I thought about taking my iPod with me this morning, even made a playlist, but I knew I'd do much better without headphones in my ears. Even if it is Queen singing "We are the champions."
Oh yeah, and did I mention I got a t-shirt? Without holes in the armpits, thank you.
if you'll excuse me, I shall now sleep all day.
-mcfrenzy-
best for last. mmm-hmmm.
