CarbKiller: Committed.

Running a race is a lot like a final exam. You can’t just show up and expect to pass unless you’ve put in some kind of effort.

Some people prepare for months and sleep deeply at night secure in their efforts.

Others realize 24 hours beforehand that 80% of their overall grade is riding on this sucker and panic commences. This can include all night cram sessions. Cheat sheets. Sleep for these people is rare if not impossible the night before their big event.

While I fit in neither of these categories, I do take some time the night before every race to set out my gear, pack some snacks and generally prepare myself.

It’s a little hard to do that when all you can hear is

Particularly when your drive home from your race expo involved a lot of

It’s discouraging.

As much as I’d like to pretend I could stick out an entire half marathon in those kinds of weather conditions there is just no way. Maybe if I was a full scale runner. Maybe if I wasn’t a total wimp. Maybe if hell froze over.

So why didn’t I just throw in the towel last night?

Because my friend Joan posted her 2009 medals not too long ago and I was a little jealous.

And then yesterday my friends Stephanie and Greg posted a picture of their Christmas tree.

How awesome is that tree!

And now you see why I was unwilling to give up on today’s race.

Darkness wasn’t going to stop me.

Rain wasn’t going to stop me.

Not even Frodo himself was going to stop me from my quest for shiny objects.

So driving past Angel’s stadium in the dark didn’t faze me.

And arriving to wet pavement didn’t faze me.

Neither did stormy skies.

But then there was a miracle! By the time I reached the starting line the skies has cleared up and I was greeted with:

Kismet!