Conservancy Run

When Scott and I first became friends at BYU one of the fun things we did together was go running.  For me running is very therapeutic, it can be painful, it's a bit addicting, and it makes me sweat.  Running allows me to think.  Being on a college campus eludes itself to needing to think.  I would run a lot.  Scott would stick with me to mile two and maybe mile three but I would always like to go five.  Like I said, I needed to do some thinking.  I found running fun and I think he found it tolerable.  So, you can imagine my delight and slight jealousy when Scott tells me about his runs around the city-over the Brooklyn Bridge, along the Hudson River or a 5k corporate run in Central Park.  Truth is I haven't put running shoes on for a month.  But that changed last Saturday.

On July 11, Scott found a run in Central Park, the Conservancy Run.  A four mile run benefiting Central Park projects to keep the park planted and maintained.  The run was on July 17.  It would be fun and beautiful right?  I'm not running to win.  After all, they were not doing awards for this run.  Instead they were planting a flower for every person who crossed the finish line.  Certainly I could cross the finish line.

We signed the boys up for the run and Jenna up for the kids' run.  This was going to be interesting in a NYC heatwave with a body that hasn't been running.  We tell the kids that we are doing the run and they are up for it but we just keep telling them it will be fun.  It's going to be fun right?

We made our way into the city via the George Washington Bridge. Scott dropped us off at the edge of Central Park and we made our way to all the race talk we could hear on the loud speaker.  We picked up our time chips and shirts.  I put the chip on our shoes and this is when I start noticing that it was warm outside.  In fact, I look around and everyone has a slight sheath of sweat on them.  Okay, big deal.  It's hot outside.  It's summer and it's supposed to be hot.  This is going to be fun.  A run in Central Park!

This picture was taken in the beginning of the race.  Alec is still smiling and so am I.

This picture was taken when Ammon was fresh and feeling like this was going to be fun!

The boys ditched me after the first misting station and mile marker one.  I kept watching for them along the way but I never saw them again until I crossed the finish line.  I was good until after mile two.  I started to feel the affects of the weather and just my body being soft.  Stinkin soft body.  I kept telling myself to breathe and to stay loose.  After all, this was only four miles. 

 Seriously I better not be the last person over the line.

During mile three I blame my slowness to a woman eating a pineapple Popsicle.  We are running along and this woman joins the run right in front of me.  I didn't see where she came from but she had a running bib and she clearly was sweating so I assumed I just hadn't noticed her.  Of course I hadn't noticed her.  She had been standing by an ice cream cart buying a pineapple Popsicle!  I notice that ice cold treat in her right hand and ever so slowly being brought up to her mouth.  She really stopped for a refreshment and is it eating on the run.  I was flabbergasted that she was so rudely eating in front of everyone! She eats and runs for about a quarter of a mile.  At some point she starts walking.  I pass her and make a little vow in my head not to let Popsicle eaters pass me on the trail. 

But I can't get the idea of having something really cold in my mouth out of my mind.  I slow down.  The Popsicle eater passes me and she licks the last remnants off the stick only to toss it on the side of the route.  Okay, I need to forget about the coldness that I want and hope that the Popsicle "high" she has won't last.  I pass her and I don't look back.  She must not pass me again.  I finish ahead of the Popsicle eater.  I will never look at pineapple Popsicles the same way ever again.

By the amount of sweat we are seeing in this photo the run is over. 

Two things I need to point out in this sweaty picture. 

First, that is my hair in a pony tail.  The pony has no bounce, but it is indeed hair tied in a a hairband.  I think I may be chopping my hair off soon.  That's another story. 

 The second thing is, I'm wearing shorts that aren't long.  Those are real running shorts I'm wearing.  I don't consider myself a vain person but I am self-conscious about this super ugly vascular thing I have on the back of my right knee.  I try to wear shorts long enough to spare myself public humiliation or people being sicked out by it's hideousness.  I just needed to clear those two things up.

They needed these EMT vehicles.  People had heat exhaustion.  The cooling stations were full. 

We were drinking liquids for the rest of the day.

 The kids' run was fun to watch.  Jenna was in the first heat for her age division.  She did really well coming in second place.  Before the race started we told her to run as fast as should could and to breath!

There are couple of people in this picture who are happy but there are a couple of people in this picture who are literally dripping with sweat.  Maybe they all were dripping with sweat because it was so hot and humid.  Alec's feet even felt the effects of the sweat.  When we got home he was very concerned about his feet.   He said, "Mom, something is wrong with my feet.  I don't know why they look like this.'  I look at his feet.  I laugh and tell him that his feet were pruned from being in sweaty shoes all day!

  Everybody said they had fun.

I hope they had fun because I know I did.