Hostess Half Marathon

SO what exactly is the Hostess Half Marathon? I have been asked on numerous accounts, how could Hostess, a delicious but unhealthy snack product actually sponsor a Half Marathon.... Well the story goes...... They Didn't. I have a good friend, who is a Hostess addict who also loves to run. Being that December is one of the only months in our area where there isn't a Half Marathon Scheduled, Cory decided to create his own, combining his two favorite things. SO Folks that is how we got to the Hostess Half Marathon. They only had four simple rules.


1) Run 13.1 miles.
2) Eat a Hostess product at each aid station spaced 2 miles apart.
3) Use every ounce of will power available to not vomit Twinkies at mile 11.
4) Everyone Wins their Age division and Medals as long as they eat a Hostess product at each station and finishes the race.
That my Friends is the Hostess Half Marathon.

In comparison with my last race, this time I didn't have to race 18,000 other runners, There was just 40 of us. A nice small running group from the surrounding Hurricane area. I had alot of my good friends run in the race, which made it even more exciting and fun. To set the picture of the day, as you can tell from our attire, it was raining and wet. But of course, rain will never stop any of us from running, or eating our hostess donuts on the run.

The Hostess Half Marathon was something I had LOOKED forward to ever since I signed up. I thought that the challenge of running and eating Twinkies sounded fun but also like a huge challenge as well. I have found a true love for running over the past year. I look back and see where I have come, and find myself finding JOY in my journey. For the record, for the past two to three months i have bee fighting a nagging Plantar Fasciitis in my Left foot. To make matters worse, I also sustained a right quad injury on my Las Vegas Half Marathon. I had been sick with a cold a week prior to Las Vegas, but still had some lingering effects on race day. Melissa, my wife, told me that running this race had nothing to prove. She didn't want me to get sick, or reinjure myself, especially in the rain. I knew that I was going to be slower than I have been on previous races, but I really really wanted to finish this last race of my 2010 season. So of course I went, which I DON'T REGRET. I had a totally blast. For being a small race, we really see the separation of the elite fast and the really slow.... but being friends, everyone was more than supportive and made for a huge cheer section.
As the race started, I really struggled in the first 2-3 miles to get loose. The main group took off like Lightening and there was only about five of us for a small period of time. Five turned into three, which turned into just me. I had troubles in the rain keeping my shoes tied. I swear I tied them like 50 times.... LOl OK maybe 3 or 4. I felt my previous injury start to rear its head about mile three. By this time, I was having a hard time keeping pace with the 2 Mels. I had fallen back about a quarter mile. I was able to talk with and meet two awesome and inspiring runner. Carol and Mendy. Simply amazing. Both of their stories inspired me to keep going. Of course, I am a very competitive person but realize my limitations, but there is No way I was going to be last as we traded back and forth for the first 4 miles who was running in last position. When I made it to the second aid station just above the LDS fruit farm by the airport in Hurricane, I had finally taken a lead from the final pairing. The visibility was hard to see anyone after about a quarter mile or so. I made the turn toward Sand Hollow and half way down the road, I see the leaders screaming towards me. OH NO I said. I wasn't running well, but I had to grin and bear through it. To my surprise, both Tom and Ty gave me a high five and said several words of praise and then they was out of sight. I was really struggling to keep going. I was hurting, My quad and foot both on fire and had won the first round. But after running past them, here came the middle of the pact. Each and everyone of them, either gave a high five, two thumbs up, words of praise and support. What a pick me up. There was several I didn't even know who gave me the motivation to keep my shoulder to the wheel and press along. Man I really needed that, for after i passed them ad they all became out of site, I had to keep telling myself, I can do ti, just keep putting one foot in front of another and I will make it. Finally I made it to the hill, which we had to climb to make the turn around. Once on top I reached the third aid station. For me eating the hostess product was a piece of cake. LOL or donut. I always picked up a glass of Gatorade and one powdered donut and was off, it held me well, Never did I feel sick or bloated or anything. Lucky me... No puking Twinkies on this run. As I ran down the hill and made it a quarter mile, I passed the last group. I knew that they was hurting as bad as I was. I ran over to them and Told the how proud I was of them, and to keep their heads high and then I was off into the fog and rain. I couldn't see anyone in front of me or behind me. I was almost a nice feeling of solitude. Just me and the cows on a nice wet rainy day in the middle of nowhere... But by this time I had a decent run going, partially because I knew I was on my way back to the finish being that is was an out and back course. I made the turn off 3000 on to 700 back into Hurricane. By the time I made the Intermediate school. I was hurting and sore. I had to keep going. I made the turn onto 400 and half way down the road I see a runner coming towards me. As he got closer I realize that Cory had come back for me. It was the much needed pick me up I needed at this point. He ran with me all the way to the finish. Cory, once again, your the man... Thanks so much for coming and running with me. YOU ROCK. I crossed the finish at 3:05:43. the same posting I placed in Las Vegas. I have never hurt as bad as I did as I crossed that line, but having the medal placed around my neck, and knowing what I overcame during that run, it feel like one of my top accomplishments of the year so far. This was a sweet race and I actually had a blast running it.

****Since Nov 1, I have officially ran 4 half marathons in two months. I know I am a little worn down and battered so I plan to take some time off to heal so that I can be ready for an awesome 2011 season. I have many awesome runs planned with a goal of running a half marathon every month and hopefully running the 2011 STG marathon. Fingers crossed.

Quote of the day

"The first principle of distance running is consistency. You have to be willing to commit to running every day. There will be times when you have other commitments (family, church, school, vacation, etc) and you will be unable to run, but on the days you can run, you should be running. If you want to improve and if you want to reach your potential with running, it has to be part of who you are." --Corbin Talley