Saturday, June 23, 2012

Meredith Hagan Foundation - Inspiration Run

Have you been inspired today?  I was this morning.  I spent the morning at the Mountsberg Conservation Area with my running gals Enz, Beverley, Tanya, Pauline and our newest running gal, Dawn.  Meredith Hagan was a triathlete who died in a tragic cycling accident two years ago.  Her family has formed the Meredith Hagan Foundation to keep her legacy alive.  You can read more about the Inspiration Run and Meredith here.
The bracelet in  my bling bag.
This was a very well organized event that had a lot of bling for such a small race.  It was a 5.6k trail run and I can't tell you what my time was and I don't think I care (Enz just sent me my results...see them below).  I felt good just getting out and running for such a worthy cause.  Chokes me up a bit to think about her daughter and her family and friends at the event.  Every one was so pumped and happy to be carrying on her legacy.  It was a lot of fun and the inspirational signs along the route were indeed uplifting.
Not too bad considering it was a 5.6k and I had
monstrous hills and wheat fields to contend with.
What wasn't uplifting was the ginormous hill that I walked up.  There was no way I was gonna run up that monster and waste my energy.  Running down it was quite a feat too.  There were tree roots everywhere and I really had to watch where I was stepping.  Running in trails is much different than running on asphalt.  Not only are there the humongous hills to contend with, but I ran through really long grass (for quite a distance) and felt like Laura in the opening credits of Little House on the Prairie.   I'm just glad I didn't pull a Carrie and fall:)
Jules waiting for me to cross the finish line!
So there are no pictures of me crossing the finish line.  My husband decided to video tape me and I can't get it to download on my computer.  These however are the post race and post freshen up photos.  Check out that medal.  It was HUGE and heavy.  And just for the record, the reason Pauline doesn't have a medal is because she was a bandita again (she ran the race but didn't register).
The medal ribbon says "stronger, harder, faster"

Enz, Beverly, me, Pauline, Dawn

Post race lunch at Kelsey's.  Don't ask why the boy has glowing eyes!
I added this one 'cos Pauline and Beverly look so pretty.