No hills, please!

Should I just put it out there? I'm totally scared of the hills in this race. My stupid allergies have given me asthma, which is new in the last year, so I'm not really used to it. If you add in the Utah elevation, I think I might be gasping for air on the easy legs. I am going to be doing some hill training, but there aren't a lot of hills right around my neighborhood, so I'm not sure how that's going to go. Anyway, I'm hoping some super woman out there is so excited to run up a mountain. And I will be there to cheer her on!

I grew up as a ballet dancer, with running far from my mind. In fact, I had a doctor's note to excuse me from running in Junior High due to some ankle problems. After having a knee surgery in college (that darn ballet!), I finally felt like I could run. I remember feeling so excited after a 20 minute jog. Two kids later (2004)I moved to Michigan, where the exercise du jour of the women in my apartment complex was running. So I started. I'm sure we were going at an 11 minute-mile pace for less than two miles. A few women seemed satisfied with this, but not me. I wanted to go faster and farther. A year later I did my first race -- a 10K. Since then I've done 5ks, 10ks, 2 half marathons, and one marathon. The good thing about being new to running is that every race is a chance to PR! I know I haven't reached my potential yet. I loved running a marathon (May of 2008) and I'm planning on running the Newport, OR, marathon this May. I miss running with all of my friends. Now I listen to NPR when I run most mornings. I love the challenge of training, the exhilaration of being totally in tune with your body, and the calories running burns. : ) I also love the inspiring women I've met over the last 5 years.

Now I live in Oregon now with my husband and three kids. My husband is an accounting professor at the local university. My kids are almost 8, almost 6, and 18 months. I love to read, bake, cook, sew, travel, play games, and do just about anything outdoors. I also like playing volleyball and watching college football and basketball. I'm currently trying to grow my hair long enough to be in a ponytail, get better at Dance Dance Revolution on the Wii, and eat less sugar. I have a serious love for dark chocolate, though, so there's only so much I can do. Before I had kids, I was a high school English teacher. I like to pretend I can still write a bit. I have a great husband and great kids. They are very supportive of my running and even keep up with my training schedules.

I think this race is going to be an adventure! I've already got a reflective vest, and I kind of want to use a headlamp instead of a flashlight. Do you think they'd allow that? Man, how cool would that look.

I'm looking forward to all the fun! Keep posting.

Amy Peterson