We did it again! (Race Recap)

I got talked into participating in a running race again. 

I'd probably never choose to do such a thing by myself, but since it's a great excuse to hang out with a couple of my best buddies, I'm all for it. 

We've been training the past few months for the Famous Idaho Potato Half Marathon. We ran our longer distances together on Saturdays. Running with them barely feels like work at all. We keep a nice, easy pace and chat the whole time. 

It's funny that my first (and only other) half marathon felt like such a major accomplishment, but for some reason this one didn't seem that way. It could be that this time lacked the shock factor of actually being able to make it to the finish line alive and well. 

Maybe I should go for a full marathon next time. Ha-ha, juuuust kidding. I have no desire. And since I have now completed two half marathons, it's basically the same as running one full marathon. Right? Never mind the fact that the two races were done 3-1/2 years apart. =)

This race took place last Saturday, May 17th. We lucked out with beautiful weather. It was a bit chilly to start, but it was fine. Well, maybe not for the dude who showed up wearing only a Speedo and a sombrero (and socks/shoes). He seemed to be yearning for a jacket. I could tell by the way he wouldn't stop pacing in place and rubbing his arms with sheer remorse.

We had to catch a shuttle before 6:00 that would take us to the start line near Lucky Peak. We met up at 5:15 to carpool down together. So early. Too early. That meant I got up at 4:30. Yuck.

But early mornings are doable with these two. Just look at their fresh faces and optimistic auras.

Here we are before the race, me pre-ponytail. I had to keep my neck warm somehow. Start time was a little after 7:00. Since we'd each only had a small breakfast almost two hours earlier, we were hungry by the time we commenced our 13.1 mile trot. That kind of made me nervous, since I prefer having fuel when I'm needing to move around at all. Or even when I'm sitting still. I like food. Oh well, at least I had some gum with me to keep my mouth moist.

Some of the runners were barefoot. I don't know how they do it. The very idea makes me hurt. 

The race course was really pretty. Starting at Lucky Peak, it wound through lovely neighborhoods, down some streets, and along the green belt, ending at Ann Morrison Park. 

When it became necessary to shed our jackets, tying mine around my waist proved to be a bit tricky as I tried not to break stride. We decided someone needs to invent a slap jacket, with the sleeves made out of the same materials slap bracelets are. 

"Are you tired of this happening to you when every second separates you from winning that big race?" 

*Camera shows flustered runner, struggling mightily to secure flimsy jacket sleeves around a sweaty, slick waist. She probably also trips and falls amid her failed attempts, doomed to lose the dang race, and possibly every race thereafter.* 

"Buy the new Slap Jacket! All you do is slap it around your waist and proceed to the finish line with ease - and convenience!" 

(Never mind the fact that the jacket cannot be worn unless the runner wants to have his or her arms outstretched to the shape of a T, or rolled into a ball in front of the body.)

Just as I was getting too hungry to go on, we approached an aid station stocked with Power Bars. YES! This is the main reason I can make it through a race like this - the snacks and water/Gatorade every couple of miles!  By the end of the course, I'm pretty sure I'd consumed more calories than I burned. =/

We crossed the finish line, hand in hand, at roughly 9:22 AM

A pic of the winning team!

Our reward for jogging 13 miles was a half of a baked potato with butter, sour cream, and salsa. And a sweet medal to wear around town.

About 20 minutes after we finished the race, the winner of the full marathon finished. Wow! 26.2 miles in 2:46:10. (I looked up his time.) That right there is a mix of him being fast and us being kinda slow. He looked utterly exhausted. His legs were shaking, and I doubt he would describe his experience as "fun", but that's how I felt about mine. Never at any point did it seem painful or unpleasant. Except when we saw that poor, dead duck on the side of the path. =( 

I did initially pose for this picture, but gave up before it mattered. Renee, I hope you thoroughly washed your mouth after this. Nobody knows where that potato's face has been. But we all agreed it would be fun to be the person within the potato suit, dancing all around and such. It could be kind of a lonely profession.

Here's a sideways look at the metal. Just because.

I think it's safe to say we had a successful, Idaho potato-y day. 

Paul Simon and Such

I recently read a biography on Paul Simon. I bought it at Dollar Tree, of all places. I bet he'd love to hear that a book about his career ended up on a dollar store shelf...

I have a renewed admiration for him. Actually, I never knew all that much about his personal history,
but I've been a fan of his music since junior high, when I became unimpressed with the current music and turned my attention fully to oldies. My ears melted in a good way when I heard "The Sound of Silence", "Bridge Over Troubled Water", and many more of Simon & Garfunkel's hits. I loved the songs' sentiments and lovely harmonies.

My junior year in high school I dated a senior, who was a fan of Paul Simon; but not so much the
 "& Garfunkel" part. I've been known to immerse myself in the music my loved ones like. It just makes me feel connected to them in a strange (but totally not obsessive) way. =)

Hey, here's a picture of us from the girl-ask-guy dance. It was jungle-themed, and my mom took our group's photos at our house to save us all from buying the over-priced packages available at the dance. Just FYI.

He (whose name was and still is Adam) and I listened to Paul Simon tunes in his red Ford Bronco as we drove to and fro movies, and our houses, and other in-town destinations. This familiarized me with Paul's solo career.

I was in a girls' choir that year in school, and Mrs. Schmidt gave her students opportunities to perform songs in front of the class as part of our grade. I wanted to share a Simon & Garfunkel number. It was a toss-up between "Old Friends" and "Song For The Asking".  I had Adam decide for me, and he voted for the latter. He came to choir class that day to watch me (and likely wished he'd left his ears at home). =)

Enough about me and high school. Let me share some of the things I learned when reading this Paul Simon book.

I had no clue how long Paul and Artie had to work before they finally made success. Then again, they did start in their mid-teens. But roughly 7 years of almost-ups and many downs eventually paid off. Yay for them! Yay for the world!

The two didn't originally call their duo by the name we all know. They at one point called themselves Tom Graph and Jerry Landis (Tom & Jerry for short). Landis was the last name of one of Paul's girlfriends. They also briefly used the name Kane & Garr. It's no wonder they floundered in the industry for a while. ;)

The line "hello, darkness, my old friend" came from the fact that Paul would write songs in the dark of his bathroom due to the good acoustics.

I had forgotten that Paul was briefly married to Carrie Fisher. Carrie apparently cheated on him with Dan Aykroyd. =/

Paul at one time lived in George Harrison's former home on Blue Jay Way. George also encouraged Paul in his solo career. =)

The Grammy for record of the year in 1969 went to "Mrs. Robinson", beating "Hey Jude".  I never knew! For some reason it's so weird to think of the Beatles mingling and "competing" with Simon & Garfunkel.

"Bridge Over Troubled Water" got record of the year in 1971 over "Let it Be".  That would have been a tough decision to make. But "Bridge" is such a beautiful, meaningful song, so I'm not mad it won. =)

I didn't realize how inseparable Paul and Art were. It seemed they couldn't keep away from each other for too long before one of them would come crawling back, either to produce a more profitable album, put on "one last concert together", or just because they secretly missed each other. (I'm adding that last interpretation of things.)

Anyway, Paul Simon rocks. He has some of the best songs to sing and whistle along to. It totally inspires me to want to write songs. Of course nothing as beautifully poetic as his work. Songs can be anything. I'm working on several sets of lyrics, but I need to "find the time" to work out some tunes and such. Seems such a daunting task. It would help if I had a bunch of professional studio musicians at my disposal to accompany me, like Paul had. =)