Over the years, I’ve done a gazillion races. From 5Ks, to a gazillion half marathons, to marathons. My first race as a runner was a 10K trail run in 2009. In 2010, I completed my first half marathon in Coeur d’ Alene. After that, I was addicted to that distance. It became my favorite distance. It still is really.
The following year, in 2011, my sister started to race. Like me, her first race was a trail run. She started out at a 5K and then later on that year, we did our first half in Seattle together. In October of that year, I completed my first full in Portland alone. Two years later (and my sister’s wedding), my sister and I (along with a friend) completed the Portland Marathon. It was my second one and my sister’s and our friend’s first. My sister and I spent the summer weekends training and running across the city. Sometime within those years, I did complete a couple of duathalons.
So…I’ve been through a lot race wise. I’ve traveled a fair bit. Completed races in Oregon, California, Arizona. Does it sound like I’m bragging? Because I’m not. I just meant I’ve been reflecting a lot on what I’ve been through. Some of my fave moments were around races. While 2015 ended a bummer note race wise, I shouldn’t be so sad. I had a couple of PRs.
Thinking on my races overall, it’s been awesome. The reason why? Because of the people.
I’ve mentioned before that I have friends who have I have completed races with before. Not necessarily completed with me, but done the same race before. It’s always fun cheering friends on at a turn around of a race or seeing them at the finish line area. It doesn’t even have to be friends. I’ve been known to cheer on strangers during the race. If someone is alone and at mile 10 out of 13 or 16 out of 26, they usually need a cheer up. It can be a long race alone.
Some of my favorite race moments revolve around my sister. My sister and I have done a lot of races together. 5Ks to marathons. It usually revolves around us cussing at why we do that at one time or another (or when we are waking up at the god awful time in the morning). And yet, we sign up for another one.
Even if we don’t run a race together, I do know my sister will be there at the end to cheer me on. One of the most hilarious pics I have of my sister helping me finish is her helping me at the 30K River Run that I was an idiot to sign up for. The pic features my sister almost dancing to help me finish the race. Besides marathons, that was one of the hardest races I’ve ever done. She’s such a nut.
There have also been many pics of us stuffing our faces at the finish line. Those are always amusing. My first marathon, my sister got a pic of me stuffing my face with pizza coming out of the pizza chute. There’s a pic of Tink eating Doritos at the end of our marathon. The entire marathon, Tink kept saying, “Why did we sign up for this? I’m never doing this again”. I get a text the next morning: “We totally could have done that faster”! Hahaha! I knew that was coming.
As I’m not allowed to run, I think of all these memories and more. They always say it’s not the beginning or the end that matters but the journey, right?
Alright enough about my random ramblings. Just had to put them together.