So after I ran my first half marathon I thought…I need another big goal. Something that will keep me going. So I came up with two.

1. Avon 39 – a 39 mile walk to benefit breast cancer
2. Run a half marathon in all 50 states before I turn 40

At that time I wasn’t ready to commit to a full marathon because I didn’t think I could do it (hardy har har) so running a shorter distance in 50 states seemed easier. Maybe it is easier when you compare 13.1 miles to 26.2 miles but not when you do 13.1 miles a minimum of 50 times and not to mention the cost of traveling to all these races but I digress. I had a GOAL and minor hurdles such as distance and cost weren’t going to stop me. (I’m currently considering a second job to pay for this GOAL).

So I started googling and I found my next half. Beat the Blerch in Carnation, WA. There are two reasons I picked this one. The first reason: my good friend from college lives close by and I thought I may be able to convince her to do it with me (Thanks G!) and the second reason: you get chased by people in fat suits, there are couches along the way if you get tired and most importantly at the fuel stations there is CAKE! This was a race after my whole heart. So I signed up immediately. If you find yourself interested here’s the website: http://www.beattheblerch.com/

So race day arrived and it was cold which is perfect for running. Although I tend to complain about the cold beforehand. I do not like being cold…ever. We picked up the race packets and the bag was full of candy. Typically you get GUs (which if you have never had one imagine gurgling Jello and trying to run at the same time) and nutritious protein bars that taste like flavored cardboard. But getting candy and a sweet shirt?! I knew I had picked a phenomenal race. They had some interesting merchandise for purchase which I will share pictures of below. And one of my favorite parts was getting to take a picture with one of the Blerches who would soon be chasing me. Before the race we prayed to Doritos and Funyuns. And they threw marshmallows at us for some pre-race fuel. A benefit to being 5’10” is having the ability to snag the marshmallows out of the air as I am often taller than the other runners.

I snagged a PR that day by over 18 minutes. The course was beautiful, the weather was cool, and most of all I was having so much FUN that I didn’t realize how much I was pushing myself. I had a blast and would highly recommend this race to anyone.

Next up: Kansas/Missouri