Maybe I'm Crazy, but I Have Fun!

I may be just a little bit crazy (or possibly a lot a bit).
I came to this conclusion as I thought about writing this blog about my trip to run in Nashville.
I realized I paid to travel over 1100 miles to run 13.1 miles in the rain with more than 17000 other people - and here's the craziest part - I'd do it again in a heartbeat! (Yep, certifiably insane) :)

Early Thursday morning myself, my mother-in-law, and three of our friends drove to Denver and then flew to Nashville to run on Saturday.  My friend Sarah and I were running the half marathon again and the rest of the girls were doing the mini marathon (2.6 miles).

We got tickets to go to the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night.  The experience was great although a little bittersweet.  George Jones had just passed away so most of the performers did a tribute to him, and they did a fantastic job.  Sitting there as artists honored him and his music, I couldn't help but be a little sad. While their music will live on forever, little by little those artists who have become the foundation of country music, and the inspiration of many, are passing away.  All I know is I'm glad I got to grow up listening to their music, and someday I look forward to sharing their music with my kids as well.

Leading up to the race we all were constantly checking our phones for weather updates - they were calling for rain on race day.  As Saturday morning got closer, we all were pretty certain we were going to be getting wet.  Thankfully my mother-in-law, Roshel, had thought ahead and had my sister-in-law, Eryka, pick up some running rain jackets for us. Go figure - where we live is practically a desert so I really didn't have any equipment for running in the rain.

At the convention on Friday. People had written some of the reasons they run on this sign.  I  wholeheartedly agreed with the one that read "ice cream."  In fact on Sunday I rewarded myself with a bowl of ice cream from Marble Slab for a job well done :)

Come Saturday morning, I was really glad to have that jacket because the rain had arrived. I was also happy I'd gotten some knee-high compression running socks, so I didn't have to worry about my socks getting wet and falling down, or about my shoes rubbing anywhere.
During the whole race it rained, but honestly, I really didn't mind.  I kind of felt like a little kid running outside playing in the rain.  I stayed plenty warm while I was running. I still can't decide if it was a good thing or not, but the water made my headphones keep slipping out of my ear.  About mile 4 I gave up and left them out, but then I couldn't hear my running app when it told me my pace at each mile. I'm not sure if this made me run faster because I was afraid of falling off pace or not, but either way, in the end I was happy with how I finished. My total time was 1 hr. 43 min. and 5 seconds with an average pace of 7 minutes and 52 seconds per mile. That was about 8 seconds per mile faster than last year.

Sarah and I before the race.  At this point it was only sprinkling!

Sprinting to the finish.  You can't see the finish until you're almost there.  But this year I was more familiar with the course, so I knew when to push it.

My favorite part of the actual run was seeing a little girl, standing in the rain with her hood up and a disappointed look on her face holding a sign that said "Worst parade ever". It made me laugh out loud.  I was so grateful for the people who braved the weather to cheer the runners on. It's definitely easier to keep running with their encouragement.

The worst part about the rain was after the race was over.  Last year the weather was beautiful and we all were able to hang out after finishing our run, soaking in the moment and taking pictures.  But this year with the rain and cool weather, everyone quickly got cold, and all we could think about was getting out of the rain and going back to the hotel to take a hot shower.
Even so, the rough weather during the 10 weeks of training and the rain on race day couldn't diminish the sense of accomplishment I felt when I got done.  It was all worth it!

The rest of the trip was great.  The weather straightened up and we got to enjoy being in Nashville.  I got to hang out with my good friend Heidi who lives in Nashville and Saturday night we ate at an awesome restaurant called Sambuca.  I would definitely recommend eating there - great atmosphere, great food, great music and great service - just make sure to make reservations in advance.  On Sunday, Roshel and I went and visited our friends Joey and Rory. I'm definitely not a city girl. As we drove out to their farm, I could slowly feel a tension I hadn't even noticed until that point easing out of my shoulders as we left the city behind and drove into the country.   It was great to relax and enjoy a beautiful evening with great friends.

By Monday, I was definitely ready to be home.  I missed my husband and easy rhythm of our daily lives. Now I just have to figure out where my craziness will take me to run next time! :)

Come near to God, and God will come near to you.  James 4:8
I loved this scripture and its simplicity.  There are a lot of times when I let the busy-ness of the world distract me from God, and I feel so far away from Him.  But He's not hiding from me.  There's no huge process I need to go through to feel Him in my heart again.  All I have to do is go to Him with my heart open and my mind focused on Him. He's waiting right there for me to come back to Him, and He'll come to me as soon as I let Him.

I hope you all have a fantastic rest of the week and weekend!

Lyndee