Race #4: April - Pink Series 10K

The Pink Series was a race that caught my attention from the signs posted along the road I drive down every day.  I looked it up and it wasn't too expensive ($35), so I registered.  Then I recruited a friend to run with.  Races are always better with others.

This might have been the race that I felt I had prepared for completely.  I trained.  I wasn't nervous.  I knew I could finish with a good time.  It's when we're over confident that something goes wrong, right?  Well, it did.  I got up the morning of April 18th and my stomach was just churning.  And not from jitters.

For those that don't know, I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).  I function just fine most days that I eat healthy foods.  I didn't think that I ate anything too terrible the day before my race, but my body was screaming that it didn't agree.  I spent at least a half hour on my personal throne before heading out.  My stomach was feeling a bit better.

I was told to park at the Pleasant Grove High School.  Here is where we caught a bus to the starting line.  In our pre-race email it said that the buses would be leaving between 7-7:45am.  So, I was there early.  I prefer to catch the first set of buses.  However, what it really meant was that the buses would all be leaving at the same time and that was 7:45.  We spent a lot of time waiting.  Good thing we had a bus to wait in because it was a wee bit chilly.

Around 7:30 my stomach started to churn again.  And I don't have a bathroom or port-a-potty anywhere close.  And those of you who have IBS know that when it comes, there is NO stopping it.  So, I'm sitting there in the school bus trying to keep my breathing at a steady speed and think about ANYTHING else.  Finally, the bus starts to move.

We get to the start and I hop out of the bus as fast as I can to get to the bathrooms before the crowd.  I make it.  I've visited The John a couple of times now, and I'm thinking that I'll be good to go for the rest of the race.

Here we are waiting to be told where to find the start line.

Walking to the start.

This was a low key race.  We all walked to the start and a guy with a mega phone yelled "go!"  We ran along the Murdock Canal Trail.  I really love this run.  It's beautiful and today was no different.  Until we got a couple of miles in and my stomach shifted again.

We had just passed the the bathrooms.  They were at least a half mile back and turning around is just not an option for me in a race.  And I needed to go.  NOW.  I was so convinced that I was going to shit myself, that I had to slow to a walk.  A gait that I'm sure appeared from behind as though I had a stick up my butt.  My running buddy was nice enough to stay with me the whole way.  We walked just over a mile before we hit another bathroom along the trail.  I saw it and ran.  Made it.

When I came back out, I was feeling good.  But I knew that it wasn't over.  So, we booked it to the finish.  As Pleasant Grove High School came into view, I could feel the rumblings below.  I was not stopping this time.  I ran faster.  Right through the finish and directly to the bathroom.  I almost missed getting my finisher medal.

 If I remember correctly, we finished in 1 hr and 15 minutes.   Not too shabby for needing to waddle with my butt cheeks squeezed together for over a mile and a ten minute potty break.  I'm feeling good about it.

At the finish line.  (post honey bucket)

I would absolutely participate in this race again.  Hopefully without my stomach issues.  I received plenty of emails before the race about race day info and packet pick up.  The organizers of the race seemed to be on top of everything.  After the race there were snacks and water. 

The medal is really pretty.  It has a charm that can be removed and placed on a chain to wear.  I like races where I get medals.  It's great to be given something for an accomplishment, and to remind me that I can.

If you get the chance to run this race, take it.  It's truly a beautiful run.

Race #3: March - Outclimb Cancer Challenge

On March 7, I participated in the Outclimb Cancer Challenge.  This challenge is organized completely by volunteers to benefit the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.  It's a 24-story climb up the Wells Fargo building in downtown Salt Lake City.  Participants can climb once or they can try to break the record for most climbs or fastest climb.  This is done by people of EVERY age and physical condition.

The challenge begins at 6 am and participants have until Noon to complete their climbs. This is also run in waves.   Participants are assigned a start time according to how many climbs they are going to attempt and how many people in their group.

I was running this challenge alone.  Weird how everyone thought I was crazy to want to run a stairs race, right?!  One week into my training and I was beginning to think they were on to something.  I love stairs, but they are a beast to do for a long period of time.  My goal for this challenge was 5 climbs or 120 floors.

I got to the Wells Fargo building around 8am.  My start time was 9am.  They had check-in and packet pick up that morning.  There was not a big line, so I didn't have any unnecessary waiting around.  They also had a place for me to check a bag with all of my belongings. 

I was super nervous about this.  I had trained, but didn't know what to expect. 

It begins.

There were many people climbing.  One elderly gentleman held the banister and pulled himself up each stair as he climbed the huge building.  He climbed more than once.  Some were climbing extremely fast.  Others were going to distance.  There was a woman who looked quite tired on my first elevator ride down to the bottom of the stairs, so I asked her how many climbs she had done so far.  She was on climb 22!!  When I left at the end of the day, we were again on the same elevator down to the bottom floor.  She was on climb 40. . . and still going. 

There were volunteers in the stair wells to make sure we were safe.  Some of them had water and others were dressed up dancing to music and cheering us all on.

Every time I made it back to the clock at the bottom of the stairs, it read 10 minutes past the last time I was there.  So, between elevator rides and walking back to the stairs from the elevator, I figure it took me right around 7-8 minutes each climb.  I took this picture when I finished my 6 climbs!!

There was this comparison of climbs to popular climbs other people do throughout the world.  It was fun to think I climbed higher than the Freedom Tower in New York City.

As soon as I was finished with my climbs, I was given a medal and could join the after party.  At the party, there was food and drinks for everyone, massage therapists for a small fee, and prizes given away for costumes, fastest climb, most climbs, and a drawing.  It was a lot of fun.

This would be really fun to do with a team of people.  There were small teams of just a couple of people and HUGE teams of more than 40 people.  All seemed to have a great time.  If you get a chance to join in on the Outclimb Cancer Challenge, take it.  Money goes to a great cause and I'm sure you'll love it.