Isn't this just breathtaking.
Betsy, me and my good friend Amy.
My number.
The way the mountains looked that morning.
Stopping on the way to enjoy the snow with the kids.
I don't even know how to make this short and sweet but I will try. Last Spring I began to run with a friend of mine, Betsy, up until then I usually ran on my own just b/c it was challenging finding a consistent time to run with someone else (naps, work schedules etc). So, we did what we could to accom0date eachother's busy life and ended being able to run quit a bit together. Shortly thereafter I had the bright idea of doing a half marathon together. Betsy, who was new to running, needed a little convincing to get on board. We signed up and then two months later, early July, I ran into back issues. My discs in my lower back were giving me a lot of grief. It would be 8 weeks until I ran again. So, here I am 3 weeks before the scheduled race and feeling totally out of shape, worried about my back, worried about my friend feeling abandoned and upset. I began to run and mentally prepared myself for the inevitable walking or slow running I would need to do. Well, Betsy was worried and two nights before the race switched herself to the ENDURO race of 13-14K. I did the same. Little did we know that we had just taken ourselves out of the 1/2 marathon which was to be held on the nice x-country ski slopes and put ourselves on the track of the insanely difficult down hill biking course. I am actually glad we didn't know how hard it was going to be.
I must give the details of the events leading up to the race, lest I forget what I really went through. We, Eric and the kids, headed up to Banff, the long way so as to enjoy ALL of the scenery, and arrived 5 hours later to a wonderful and sunny Banff. This being the night before the race we had anticipated meeting Betsy and her family for dinner, but they were delayed so we decided to eat fondue with the kids at a restaurant in the downtown, and then headed to the hotel. Eric really wanted to drive a scenic route and look for bears. Because it was the night before the race, a long day of driving with the kids, getting late and all sleeping in the same room I decided to stay with the kids and put them to bed. Well, 4 young kids in a totally hot room (we could not control our own heat), and two beds for all of us, sleep was not to be had. I tried not to curse my husband who was out on a leisurely drive as I lay there frustrated with my kids who would not leave each other alone, a crying 1 year old that could see and hear us, and sweat dripping from me making me feel so uncomfortable. When Eric returned around 9:30 (two hours of this torture I had endured), he rolled into bed and fell asleep within minutes. I finally fell asleep around midnight and then awoke at 1am with cramping and had a womanly surprise (I was a week and a half late). The day of the race, I couldn't believe my luck. It was getting better and better all the time. I got back to sleep and awoke at 6am to head to the pre-registration booth to sign Amy up. We headed to the drug store for some IBuprofen and then to breakfast.
The race began with a huge hill and and then another and then another and pretty soon I realized it wasn't going to end. If we weren't climbing the mountain we were descending steep slopes that necessitated hanging on to tree branches so you didn't pitch forward and tumble to your death, ok or injury. The weather was beautiful and I had two good friends to keep me company, so though it felt like 20 miles and not just 9 or 10, I was glad to not be doing it alone.
Amy had decided to join us on the race and I was so glad. She is so motivational. This was the toughest thing I have ever put my body through. And WE DID IT!!!! We all (all of the husbands and kids made a weekend of coming to Banff for the race), hung out after at Boston Pizza. The kids found a dozen or so rabbits to terrorize outside and were as happy as could be. Amy and her family stayed longer with us and we went to the Banff Hot Springs together and then to the Banff Springs Hotel for dinner. It was such a wonderful time with their family and so memorable.
Hard to get little Livi to sit still. She was on the go.
The pictures of the boys turned out so well.
