I was happy I’d decided to dress so silly. It pumped me up at the start line and made people around me loosen up and laugh a little. The music at the start line had me breakin’ it down and getting my groove on in my $15 Spencer’s tutu, especially during Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” When the announcer remarked that a corral a few ahead of us looked very serious, I announced to everyone around me, indignant with my hands on my hips, “I take this VERY seriously!” and a few people chuckled, seeming to appreciate the fun I was making of the situation. It was 8am on a Sunday and we were choosing to run 13 miles! Why not embrace the crazy!

The race started and the first mile felt tough. I was surprised at how hard I was breathing right from the start until I realized the whole first stretch was uphill. I stayed in a really good mental place for the first 6 or 7 miles, taking it one mile at a time, noting to myself that if I kept running up the hill, I’d feel so much better cresting it and getting to run downhill.

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