Mountain in the Middle Trail 12K

This race is a part of the 2013 Search for the Mountain Goat Trail Series and was nothing like anything I've ever done before. When we pulled up and started looking around, Blue and I both noted that we were among a different crowd than we were used to running with. It took me back to my hippy days ;). This race was the most fulfilling one I've ever done, just because of all of the opposition I met in getting to the dang start line, not to mention the knee and stomach troubles during the race. I seriously couldn't have pushed myself any harder and could have collapsed at the finish. (Thank goodness my buddy Blue was there to hold me up. Seriously.)

A few of the hundred reasons I had to not race:
-I was still getting over being really sick and my chest was still full of fluid
-My eye was still yucky from my eye infection and I didn't know if my contacts would stay put for the race
-Mason refuses to take a bottle and I wasn't sure if he would be really hard for my mom
-There was a huge ice-storm the night before the race and the roads where sketchy.
-I'm sure if was nerves, but starting the night before the race, my stomach decided it hated me

Somehow I was determined enough or stupid enough to insist on still running. I finished the race and was on a high for like... oh wait... I'm still on a high 8 days later.
Here's the shirt (too bad they are in men's sizes and it is huge on me). The medals were the coolest ones I've ever seen, but even after Blue and I begged for one, they said run faster next time. 

 So how is it that you look beautiful before and after Blue? I turn tomato red when I run.

Before

After

Here's Miss Blue killing it. Somehow they have pictures of runners before and after me, but not me. I must have just zoomed by too fast for them to catch me. Ha ha.

Source

(Skip this part if running bores you. Or if I bore you in general.)
I felt a little sluggish at first, but once we hit the woods I fell into my groove. By mile 2 I was giddy with how great I felt, and then at mile 3 my knees started to hurt really bad. Really!? My knees haven't hurt since I first started running a few years ago. I remember making the choice that I had worked too hard, and my family had sacrificed too much helping me be there to stop and walk.
The pain was minor on the uphills and excruciating on the down hills. (There were a lot of up and down hills.) It may have been stupid to run through the pain (8 days later and my knees still hurt), but what's done is done. I had trained for the distance, but not for the terrain. I guess my supporting muscles need some strengthening before I attempt another trail race.
I kept telling myself (out loud at times) that there were no bathrooms until the finish and for my stomach to just shut it down. Makes me laugh to think about it now. 7.5 miles of fighting with your stomach was... interesting?
Around mile 6.5 there was a LONG gradual uphill to the end and I remember stepping over a log and my right leg shaking so much that I thought I may fall over.  I just kept talking to myself like a crazy person and saying things like, "this pain isn't going to kill me" "you've worked so hard to be here" "don't quit pushing" "don't give yourself anything to regret" "you CAN NOT poop in the woods" ha ha.. you get the picture.

I had a few kills during the last 4 miles and no one passed me which was really fun. Each kill was on an uphill since I really had to slow down for my knees on the downhill. I guess living in Utah and doing my hill work paid off. :) I ran the entire thing (except where there were obstacles that you had to slow up for) and ran it in 1:24. All things considered, I was very proud of myself.