Decision is Made

I slept on it.  Then I thought about it more the next day as I drove to work.  I texted my friend Andi and said. " I think I can do it if we get hotels"  I had to have a bed to sleep in each night.  I remember what it was like when I ran past marathons.  I was recovering pretty quickly.  I can do this.  As soon as I got to work I registered for the Race Across Arkansas.

But things needed to be done:  Later that night I had to create our rundraising page, a team page where the three of us, Yoni, Andi and I would create a combined goal of $1200.  We decided that raising funds as a team would be the best way.  We created a name, opened a business account, came up with a logo.  I went on the hunt for hotels and created a spreadsheet with logistics, crew needs, reservation confirmation numbers and local restaurantes in each town.  This can be done.

Raising the money was not nearly as diffiuclt as I expected.  Aparently a lot of people want to see us attempt to run across the state.  We raised a lot of funds with a Beer Mile.  Yoni and her parents hosted it out at their property.  Participants ran laps around a pond, came across a bridge, dranke 4 oz of beer, then headed out again four times (roughly a mile).  We sold t-shirts, hoodies and hats.  it was not too lonu until we were just $50 from our goal and it was three days until departure.  It was done, we were doing it.  It was time to pack and drive down to Magnolia where we would stay during the first two legs of the event.  I guess it was for real.

What exactly is this Race Across Arkansas?

So I was meeting my friend in a coffee shop to listen to a poetry reading and she first mentioned it to me.  "Ya know, you should do Race Across Arkansas with me"....

So Race Across Arkansas is part of a larger Race Across the US put on by Run Walk Events. Run Walk Events is an organization that puts on races and provides sanctioning, insurance and fundraising portals for events to raise money.   The Race Across USA starts in Southern California and ends in Washington DC, a marathon every day ( with some rest days)  to raise money for the 100 Mile Club.  The 100 Mile club is an organization formed to help fight childhood obesity by encouraging kids to run 100 miles during the school year.

So, the fee to enter is $240 with a $400 fundraising goal.  No small commitment.  The Arkansas portion is 6 marathons in 6 days with a 2.77 mile run on the 7th day.  No small feat, right...

When Andi mentioned it I was a little speechless and could not wrap my brain around it.   I left the poetry reading in a fog trying to work it out in my brain.  I had not told her yes or no yet.  But  I was leaning toward a big fat NO.

Back in the Game!!!

So the last time I Blogged, I was recovering from a stress fracture.  That was quite a blow to my training.  Since then I ran the Three Bridges Marathon, quite gently, just to finish.  It was my first marathon experience since recovery.  After that I did the Loco Marathon in Conway and performed much better.  Something similar to my regular marathon times.   Then I took on the Syllamore trail 50K.  That was quite a hurdle to cross.

The Syllamore 50K is an out and back trail up in Northern Arkansas.  Again, this year it was snow covered.  It was cold and a little ways through I was feeling my hip flexor acting up.  I knew I was going to be running Little Rock the following weekend so when I got to the 15 mile turn-around I told the aid station volunteers I wanted to drop.  Well that was a fail.  The volunteers had one car and they all rode up together.  There was no room for another person.  So it's a good thing I did not have a bone sticking out of my leg, right?   Anyway.  I decided to turn around and complete the race, very slowly.  It was almost dark when I finished, but I was not last!

Next I took on the Little Rock Marathon.  The course was different than previous years and again, the weather was cold and drizzly.  I ran the first half under a 10 minute pace.  The next quarter of the race I was able to maintain that speed.  Then I hit the out -and back.  The worse part of this race.  This is where the pace dropped to 11 minute then 12 minute.  Finally I crossed the finish line with a reasonable finish then shivered my way all the way to my car.

I'm not sure when it happened, but my friend Andi Stracener mentioned this very strange and rediculous thing called Race Across Arkansas...