Bryce Canyon: Running, Sleeping, Hiking. In that order.

Went to Bryce Canyon a few weeks ago to run in a 5K. I took my sisters and mom along with me and we made a mini family vacation out of it which was so much fun. (It’s been 4 years since we’ve done any sort of trip… we’re lame sauce). On our way down we stopped in Panguitch at Henrie’s for dinner. My “healthy choices” diet went right out the window at this point. When they name their burger “Chubby Cheese” there is no going back... I’m just a sucker for alliteration I guess.

Friday night we found Cannonville Park with 10 minutes to spare and I picked up my race packet. This was my first running race (others have been cycling) so I was excited but scared at the same time: could I really haul myself 3+ miles in the desert? It was a baby step, but an important one for me. The next morning came extremely early and my baby sister commented that she had “never been up before the sun before”. Cliff bar, banana, and off to the races! Some of you know that I trashed my knee a few days before the race, so I was worried about running on it. My knee held up just fine, my pants, however, did not. In my hurry to pack I brought a pair of shorts that I usually use for biking. They used to fit pretty snug so I figured they would be fine for the run. Never underestimate the importance of waistband in running. My non-waistbanded shorts kept falling off me and thus I held them up with my right hand for the entire run. People were even commenting: how’s it going with the pants? Awesome. The race was through Bryce and it was beautiful. Crossing the finish line was so great and helped me to realize that we really can do whatever we put our minds to.

The rest of the weekend was a blast and I am so glad that my family includes people that I consider to be my closest of friends. I had so much fun with “the girls” and am glad we had the mini adventure. Some highlights: horseback riding along the rim of the canyon (and getting chased by a steer… I said a lot of swear words… can’t lie); sleeping for 12 hours only to wake up at 3am for a game of Skip-O; hiking, hiking, and hiking. What a great weekend. Thanks mom, Krys and Tay!!

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