I got 1st(ish)!

On Saturday morning we headed to Tressa's home town (long time no see, oh wait she was there Tuesday) of Onalaska, WA for the 1st Annual Apple Harvest Festival 8k Run! We weren't expecting a huge crowd because it is a super small town and this was the first year. Add to that the fact that I still hadn't run in over a week (men sometimes think they are awesome and try to caber toss a post with cement on the bottom and end up hurting their back like Ross trying to help a pretty girl unload her car,) and I wasn't really that nervous. I kind of figured I would just go out and run, get beat by a bunch of girls, a twelve year old, and a cow or two (it is Ony) and just hope I didn't kill myself and TRY to finish under 40 min or so.

With goals in mind, Adorable Wife and I got the kids all ready to go and headed to the race. We were meeting at the smoke stack (no joke) at the mill pond (again I'm serious, this is home to the Mill Pond Mafia, ah small towns!) I was glad to see some familiar faces when we arrived, a few folks from our previous ward, and a friend of Tressa's from highschool. All in all there ended up being about 20-25 runners and 15 walkers doing the 2 miler. After I got warmed up

I'm not sure how this is warming up, but it is!

Sorry, he just has such a cute smile!

we walked up the road to the starting point. Doug (our friend) felt it appropriate to get any advantage possible...

and Peyton was very anxious to start the race as well....

 And then we took off and he actually followed us for quite a while. Tressa said at one point he was running down the road with Frosted Mini Wheat's in one hand, holding up his pants with the other when he turned around and asked Tressa to take the Mini Wheat's so he could run better. Apparently we eventually got too far ahead. She then distracted him by letting him go through the finish line...

But anyways, back to me. The start of the race was pretty uneventful, although I was a little unnerved by being in first place from the start of the race. I didn't think I was going to be in the front, so I started to question my pace. After all, this was an 8k and not my normal 5k. But I had chosen my pace and I was determined to stick with it, so away I went.

Mid run, I am in first for the moment but am about to get passed for the first time!

About 2 miles into it, I got caught by Eric (I knew his name because I told him to come up and run with me instead of just pacing me 10 feet behind me, he then introduced himself). We ran together for another mile and a half or so until he dropped me like a sack of stinky sweat socks. We made it to one of the turn arounds and I noticed Eric was still trudging up the hill past the turnaround. I asked the lady with the ambulance that was there if this is where we were supposed to turn around and she didn't know. I asked her to call it in and she quickly confirmed that I was right. I yelled up to Eric to turn around and once again I was in first place. That glory would be short lived as Eric once again caught me and then another guy passed me as well. Oh well, third place is good too.

But wait... did the two guys in front of me (who were running together at this point) take another wrong turn? By the time I realized it, they were already too far for me to yell at them and I was once again alone at the front of the pack with only 400 meters to go. I was going to stop and let them catch up because I felt sorry for them, but then Adorable Wife started yelling at me and I was compelled to finish.

Coming into the finish, with my own personal cheer...man!

Walking across the finish because I was all confused!

Tressa's high school friend finishing (first for the girls)

Our friends, Clarissa and Doug, finishing together! Kind of, she left him to sprint in!

Sweet apple medal!

 So there you have it, an eventful race and an unlikely win... My first win for a distance race ever! (Sorry add on) with a stellar time of 41:15(ish) not quite sure. Can't really remember at all but I know it was after 40 min. This was definitely a race of ishes.

Plus the swag for the race was awesome! Probably the best for any race I've been to per capita. They had a lot of giveaways in a raffle drawing and it seemed like pretty much everybody got something. I ended up winning a $25 gift certificate, a commemorative towel from the Apple Harvest Festival. a water bottle, and a plaque and bottle of vitamin supplements for winning the race... Not bad for a $15 entry fee.

After all that excitement we headed to the In-Laws for some pancakes and sausage before hitting the rest of the festival. We slammed down the food and headed up the street for the parade. This was really our boys first parade and they didn't quite get it. People would throw candy, but as soon as Peyton got his first piece, he was satisfied and didn't feel the need to pick up anymore and Brady liked to pick it up and get dangerously close to the passing cars and throw it back. Therefore Tressa and I ended up picking up all the candy like greedy adults! P did enjoy all the animals and I had fun conquering the little kids rock climbing wall! A good morning in Onalaska!

Don't forget to enter our giveaway for a "HEART" to run necklace from Jessica's Gifts. I think the Wife is currently trying to figure out how to enter her own giveaway! Just click HERE, so easy!