It's official! 1st Bix complete!

It was a learning experience to say the least. I have never seen so many people clogging up a small city street. Just looking up the Brady Street hill in the first mile was so cool. It looked like thousands of ants charging up a hill.

I was a little nervous upon awakening. Thunderstorms and rain all around us. Water over the roads on the way. I wasn't sure if it would even be pulled off.

It rained the whole race, which made me feel like a little kid again splashing in the puddles. Although it was more like streams after all the rain we had.

Any other race I would have taken the first mile at 8:30/mile. Well...this one....we were pretty close to fast walking speed. My friend and I decided to hit the sidewalks to get around all the people walking. The first 2 miles were basically zigzagging around everybody because it was so painful to be going so slow.

Around mile 3 we decided to find a portapotty. I could have waited but I thought, "What the hell, we're going nowhere anyway". So we waited in line for a portapotty to open up.

After the turn around between mile 3 and 4, the people were more spread out. Don't ask me why. I never did figure that out.

I was able to get free and just run comfortably even though it was totally uphill for two straight miles.

Best part of the race was the downhill on Brady Street heading back to the finish. Felt like I was flying.

Here's the comparison: First mile was 10:46, last mile was 7:02. You do the math!

Final chip time: 1:04:04.

Next year....get into the front of the yellow corral or get into orange.

Tomorrow...weather permitting!

Tomorrow morning is to be the very first time I run the famous Bix 7 miler. Hillasciously hilly, but I plan to make it fun. Heck, I'm already guaranteed a PR.

My two running buds, Gina and Guy, will be by my side. Well, at least Gina will....Guy may just get bored with our slow pace and crazy antics and decide he doesn't want to be seen with us. Whereas Gina and I will have to eat his dust as he takes off.

I usually get a little nervous the night before a race, but since I'm not really "racing" this and I won't be half dead when I get done, I'm actually really excited.

Except for one thing.....

It's been very wet today and doesn't look much better for tomorrow morning. I can handle running in rain but if they cancel the race due to storms, I'll be so disappointed. I've been looking forward to this race all summer. Usually I can't do this race because of something else going on.

I will post tomorrow the series of events yet to transpire.

Now to my Rehydrate!!!!

Lost one from my hometown!

What a sad day. I found out one of the boys from my hometown is coming home from Afghanistan today. But not in the way we wanted. Seems he was killed in action after volunteering to go out on patrol.

Thought and prayers go out to his family and friends during this rough journey ahead.

Every mother's nightmare: Four Marine soldiers dressed in their blues, coming to the work place to tell the bad news!!

Rest in peace Justus Bartelt! You are a hero!