Quote of the Day: “20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. Throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Saturday, Joe and I, along with Cokie, ran the Dogtown Half-Marathon in Washington near St. George. It was about 37 degrees when we started, bright blue sky. Funny how the temperature seems warmer when the sun is shining. We wound around the neighborhoods of Coral Canyon and then took a dirt trail that turned into a trail paved with small rocks that wound along the Virgin River. It was beautiful. From step one, my ankles or above my ankles were stiff so it was hard to enjoy the first part of the race. Then I saw a girl on the side of the road stretching her leg behind her elongating that ankle part of the leg. Duh, I realized that’s what I needed to do- it worked. We ran along, each of us taking turns being out in front. I was glad that Cokie felt good at the first since she is nursing a serious leg injury. By the time we finished 2 and 1/2 hours later, the temperature had reached a perfect 60 degrees. I ran in a skirt and short sleeved top. It was perfect. Around mile 10, my surgery foot started to seriously hurt. I slowed way down and worried with each step that I may be permanently damaging my foot but did that stop me, no way. That’s the scary side of a marathoner, sometimes quitting or stopping to walk is worse than enduring pain at every footfall. I finally stretched my foot on a curb and that seemed to help but now I’m faced with the real possibility that I could hurt my foot by running a marathon. Today, I ran 4.74 miles and my foot felt fine but on longer distances, who knows? It’s always interesting to me that when you’re in a race, the miles do eventually come and pass even though you’re sure that’s never going to happen and you keep making your way to the next mile. It’s like life, sometimes if you just keep going in the right direction, you’ll reach your goal even though at times it seems difficult and daunting.
At about mile 9, I stopped to walk and a couple passed me. They were speed walking. Long legs propelled them forward at a more rapid pace than I was running. It was depressing! I was sure that I would pass them in just a short time. It never happened. They walked the entire distance and came in a few minutes before me. But here’s the most disturbing part, they were holding hands the entire time swinging them as they walked. I don’t think I could hold hands with anyone for that long, especially while swinging them!
Our course wound through rural areas where sheep were eating grass in the field. There was a large shearing machine on the property. The sheep had lost their winter coats and were now reduced to skinny soft, short coats. My Reynolds Grandparents had sheep and I remember as a young girl watching them come back from the shearer’s. They left with full coats of matted wool and walked out of the truck practically naked, their curly wool gone. I can’t eat lamb or mutton to this day because of the sheep and lambs I watched as a child and young girl. One day, my Grandma Vernessa served a delicious meat with gravy and potatoes. I about lost my dinner when I found out that is was one of our sheep. I couldn’t believe we were eating them. But my most intense sheep moment came when I watched my Grandpa Owen help birth a baby lamb. The mother was bleating in pain and I stood there watching as a huge sack was extending from her body. My Grandpa was a very gentle person and I remember the way he patiently helped this animal give birth. It was definitely an impactful event in my young life. But I could never understand the mother who gave birth to two lambs. She would only feed one and the other died despite our attempts to be a substitute.
The highlight of the race came when a flock of doves circled around me overhead as a ran. I know, they probably did that to everyone but somehow it felt like they were there just for me. I took it as a sign of health, a sign that I would get the chance to run many more races. You know what I like about my life right now? I don’t feel like I have to explain to people anymore why my hair is short, or why I took a break doing many of the things I love to do. I’m on to other things.
Start of race: Cokie, Joe and Joanie, Joe and I at end of race
You are one amazing lady & you look mahvalus!
Xxoo