Running down a dream...

So yesterday my dad, sister, brother-and-law and I ran the Wine Country Half Marathon, between Santa Ynez and Solvang, California. Afterward I asked Bryant (who came out from Vegas for the weekend!) to take a picture of my hugely muscle-bound post-race legs; unfortunately, this is the only photographic documentation I have so far of the event, although I'll try to post more pictures as they become available. April and I finished together at just over 2:14; Dad and Chris were faster. Total results are here, and pictures will be here.

The course was pretty hilly, and pretty much kicked my butt. The other three were training for San Diego in three weeks (and I'm totally jealous because Seal is the surprise star for the after concert!), but this race had been my final goal (I'd only started really running again when Dad and April registered me for this race).

However, now, even in my soreness and tiredness, "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America" is sort of calling my name. It's expensive ($85) and seems to provide in return primarily beautiful scenery and a flat course, but it does start just two miles from my front door. My weekend long run partner is doing it (for his seventh time!), and I don't want to quit marathoning on last year's finish time of 5:45--I'd like to beat my Lincoln 4:33. Unfortunately, it will sell out any day now--registration opened on the 3rd, and last year apparently all 10,500 spots went in about two weeks--so I have to decide soon. Sigh.

Oh! One more great thing about yesterday. It was a small race--only about 2000 participants---and the starting line was really informal, without pace corrals or anything. The whole group of us, including the moms, who weren't running, was close to the back of the crowd, just before the race started, when I looked up and saw, only feet in front of us, a friend I'd worked with at camp nearly 10 years ago. A friend who married Michelle Tumes. He does triathlons--or did--but it was she (Michelle Tumes!) who was running. I hugged both of them and we got to chat for a bit before the race started. It was pretty awesome. My mom laughed because she thinks I know people everywhere. I just think I'm freak-coincidence-prone.