RACE 2: ZOOMA, THE NO TELL MOTEL, BUGS AND BIG BLACK DOGS! OH MY!

As I drove up to the motel at 10pm-ish the night before Zooma I felt a slight roll of peace come over me. I made it. I had nothing on my mind but preparing for my next race. My first order of business and my last, was to get in to this room and get in to bed! I checked in quickly and went on up. I hauled all my bags (I’m a girl, yes I had more than one, plus one for food) up 4 floors. I noticed how dingey and it was and as I arrived at my room I got a sense of panic. It was super dark, there were tons of men standing out side just hanging out and I felt like SCARED FEMALE, ALONE was stapled to my forehead. I rushed in to the room and dropped my bags and then tried to lock the door. For some reason it didn’t want to lock. so I pulled it out a bit and THEN it locked. I tried to be cool and not notice that my door was half open but I felt unsafe, so I got my stuff together and went get another room. The hotel attendant said no problem I hauled my stuff to room #2.
Again, a sense of relief came over me and I was excited to get to bed, until I turned around and noticed the lamp on the desk near the door was swarming with little bugs! Totally grossed out, but exhaughsted I figureded I better suck it up. So (as I usually do) I took down the covers and checked the bed for bugs… You can just imagine my face when I see the sheets are stained, a dead rollie pollie under the pillow and then a smashed fly on the other side and a bed bug all waiting to cuddle with me!! Instead of continuing on this “adventure” I decided my car would be much more comfortable. So I got back to the front desk to ask for a refund. Unfortunately for me I bought my room on orbitz so a refund was not an option. I would have to take it up with them if I wanted my money back. I was furious and just as I was about to call orbitz another angry guest approached the front desk. This woman had also just arrived and found blood on her toilet, it wouldn’t flush and like me her door wouldn’t lock without being ajar! At his point I was DONE! The guy offered me another room but I just couldn’t do it. By this time I got the best idea all night and called my bank to cancel the payment to orbitz. ON TO THE BROADMOOR… parking lot that is.

I found a nice spot right next to the race start and settled in to my seat. I decided to turn on some talk radio to get my mind off the prior events and relax. It was only a few minutes later that I realized I was listening to Coast to Coast, a show where the host talks about all things PARANORMAL! Usually this is one of my favorite topics, but not when I’m sitting in my car… alone… at 2am and unfamiliar wilderness all around me! The topic was about a big black dog with red eyes that people report seeing before bad things happen. I was freaking out because, I sweaer I saw this dog last week! So by this point I’m so intrigued in the conversation that I can’t turn it off. I’m so scared I can’t close my eyes and I have this nagging feeling to look out in to the dark night. I finally gave in and realized I was parked next to a church! I calmed for only a second because as I lay back down, I got a glimpse of a GIANT CAT looking thing running across the street right towards my car! I threw myself back and rolled on to my side in the fetal position. I was ready to just pack up and go home when at about 2:30am I finally turn off the radio. I returned to the fetal position, covered my head with a shirt from a my bag and finally drift off to sleep.
5:00 am came fast and I was awaken by the rising sun and event workers preparing for the race! It was time to find a bathroom and change. I was surprisingly perky, drank some water, took my vitamins, and ate 2 bananas and 1 apple. I was ready to face the day with a smile and put my poopy night behind me and then about 2 minutes before the race started I had to go to the bathroom! (I think it was nerves. When I run I have to go 100 times!) So I jump in this never ending line hoping that once the race starts everyone will run for the start and I will be able to get a break! Thank God it works, and I hopped in just as end of the pack pass the start!
My pace was slow but I didn’t care, I was ready to run! I did really well up until I hit this hill. The hill that started off nice and easy, but got steeper and steeper and went on for what felt like forever. Usually for me the first few miles are the hardest, but once I get my pace going I feel like I can do anything! Unfortunately this time the hill was getting to me, and I couldn’t catch my zone. So I got tired and right as I hit the water station I started to walk. I hit the bathroom again and continued walking up the rest of the hill.

At this point I was getting to a bad place with negative self talk and even with all the cheers from on lookers I couldn’t get it going again until I hit the down slope and I felt like a kid in a candy store as I flew down. ”It’s going to be okay” I thought to myself. “I can do this!” Then about 20 runners flew past me! They were at the end of their second lap around the course and the wind was completely let out of my sail. They were so fast! I started asking myself ”why and I even trying to do this?” , “I’ll never be as good as them”, “I don’t belong here”, ”I don’t deserve to be here”… Then I looked at my watch and it was time for a gel, I slammed it and kept on running.
The second lap was good until I hit the hill again. I was already defeated but I knew I wasn’t going to quit. I just had to make it up. So I walk as fast as I can and as I start to approach the water station I take a bad turn. Now I was ready to stop. I was ready to just sit on the side of the road and cry. Then right as as I started to stop I looked up and saw the picture of this little boy on a sign. The caption said that every 10 minutes a person dies of a blood cancer… this station was run by the people of Team in Training. (Team in training raises money for cures for blood cancers like leukemia — the No. 1 disease killer of children – lymphoma and myeloma) I stopped my moment of self pitty and pulled it together. Nothing I am feeling could be as hard to endure as fighting for my life. I came in to the water station, I took one glass of water to drink and the other I poured on to my head! It was ICE COLD and I think my heart even stopped for a second! Whatever it was, I was recharged and ready to get to that finish line. I tried to jog up the hill, but my jog was slower than a few speed walkers so I caught their pace made it up! Finally, I hit the top of the hill and took off! I kept my pace nice and comfortable and made it down with ease. Once I saw the finish I took my pace up a few more notches and ran as fast as I could go. I finished at 1:43 mins. This time was slower than almost everyone there, but I finished and that was my goal. Crossing the finish line felt so amazing ( and I hadn’t caught my breath) I almost caught myself in a panic attack! I calmed down with a slow walk and my run was over.
I finished the day with helping out at the BornFit booth during the after-party:) Lisa and Jamie made it better and I even sold some BornFit product! I love it lol so it wasn’t a hard sale. I had to take an hour nap in ANOTHER PARKING LOT lol on the way home because I was too tired but I feel great today and am looking forward to my next race! I think I’ll do one more 10K before the Bear Chase Half Marathon or 50K Oct 3rd (I’m hoping to do the 50K but if I’m not ready I’ll go with the half marathon).
I battled bugs, a monster hill and myself this weekend and I made it through to the other side. I never knew that there was this Sophia inside of me. I love everything about me right now. I feel like I can do anything and I am so thankful. Life is going to be so different in the next few months… it’s time to step it up! NYC HERE I COME!
I wish I had pics of me at these races. Unfortunately I don’t have anyone there to take any:( So I’ll use this one to decribe how I felt!