Suffering from some SERIOUS nerves!!!

(Ahhhhhh! Yes, I would like to scream like this!)

(could possibly describe how I am feeling)

So...

This Saturday I am running the 10k in the Pocatello "Running the Gap" marathon race. I know, it is only Tuesday...but I am feeling the worst kinds of butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it!!! I haven't raced since high school, and yet it is all coming back to me very clearly! And the main question I keep asking myself is:

"Why do I have to be so dad-gum competitive??? Why?"

So, this is what I found myself doing a few months ago after I registered for the 10k (thanks, Jan, by-the-way, for the birthday money in which I used to register....if it wasn't for you, I probably would not have registered at all for lack of money...being married to a poor college student! haha!)

Anyway, upon registering, I decided to look up last years women's results...of course telling myself it was just out of curiosity...and that I really did not care what place I got...just as long as I finished. I have had MANY friends and family tell me I am an awful liar.

Hmmm, let's just think here for a minute...

Do you REALLY think that I can even possibly run a race and NOT try to win??? I mean, come on...I am trying to fool myself to think that I will just run for PLEASURE and nothing more! I was born with a competitive streak far too dominant to sit there and all of a sudden become recessive for the sake of my own silly lies! The reality of the situation hits me hard, even at this very moment, as I am blogging and eating pretzels and yet my body is already suffering from the "flight or fight" response!

So...over the last few months of my "training" I have tried to get into a pace of running consistant 10 minute miles, and that would allow me to run the 10k in an hour. Results from last year, for the women's age group 25-29, the top three finishers ran it in 59 minutes to the fastest time of 55 minutes. The question I keep asking myself is, "Can I do it??"

That question is what is making me so blasted nervous! And this is why:

A week ago on Monday, I ran 6.5 miles in exactly an hour. I was, to say the least, THRILLED! So, pushing my limits a little further, yesterday evening I ran about 7 miles in an hour. I timed each lap (which is 0.5 miles) and most laps I ran in 4 minutes with a few in 3 minutes and a few in 5 minutes. When I finished, I still felt strong and realized I could have pushed myself a little faster. That's a good thing when you have a race to run in a week.

So...there is a possibility, considering who is running the 10k this year in my age group, that I could place....and you have no idea how BADLY I want to!!! My stomach is churning and palms are sweating!!!

To make the weekend even better, also running in races are: My sister-in-law Chelsea running the 10k as well, Ben and my nephews Carson and Jake, registered in the 1.5 mile fun run, Anna and my neice Rylei, registered in the 0.2 mile fun run, my sister-in-law Jenilyn and her sister as well as Jenilyn's son Dallen, registered in the 5k. It will be a whole family affair!!!

I cannot wait for Saturday to come, and I will make sure Russ takes lots of pictures of all of us to post! I am so proud of Ben for being tough and running so well to get ready for the race and I have been amazed by Anna and her enthusiasm to run at such a young age too! I could not be a happier mom than to see my children go on and pursue the joy that running and physical activity has brought me in my life...and I hope they will find the same joy in their lives too. They always say that if you want your children to be more active, then they need to see their parents become more active as well. Be your child's best example.

Good luck to any of you who might be participating and wish me lots of luck too!!!