Falls to Falls Run

I like to enter in runs to give myself a goal to work toward and encourage myself to keep running. Nothing like putting down $25 bucks on a run to make your stick with it. I don’t want to waste that kind of money. I haven’t done any runs this winter and I was looking for spring 5k’s (3.1 miles) in my area when I came across the Falls to Falls run. End of April seems a nice time for a run right? Only problem was this was a 5.2 MILE run over two miles above what I normally run. Still it was the only race I could find at the time and I figured I could add two miles in two months time right?
Well, Saturday was the big day and I was confident I could do it. I didn’t think I’d be Speedy Gonzalez by any means but I could get from the start line to the finish line without to much trouble. I’m proud to say I did it!.

I did not even come close to winning by any means, but I finished in a respectable 1:21:37. That’s about a 15 minute mile. Not my fastest pace, but when you consider the first mile was all uphill on a 2% grade it’s not that shabby. I wasn’t even last by a longshot.

Here the course if anyone is interested. We started at Twin Falls (the actual falls) ran up out of the canyon, down to Shoshone falls and over to Dierkes Lake where the finish line was. The worst part was the little hill where the road forks to go to Dierkes Lake. You are almost done and your legs are burning and this hill is just steep enough to make you want to walk, but you know if you stop moving you are never going to get started again. That little teeny hill makes the big steep hill at the beginning seem like a cake walk.


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There were several people racing representing the Forest Service (we really should get shirts). Shawn, Kevin’s supervisor, ran as did the Hotshot crew boss Heath, and hot shot crew members Andrew and Tobin. Plus, there was another engineering wife who came out to run, Rachel R. We all finished and had a good time.

Kevin brought the kids down to root me on and the finish line. Jack ran across the finish line with me. Kevin also took a couple of pictures and I am bravely posting one below…..for posterity. It’s not the most flattering photo. I get red-faced when I exercise and while they are nice to run in, stretchy pants aren’t the most flattering to that post-baby pooch or  thighs. Plus this was at the end of the 5.2 miles it was pushing the upper 70’s and I’m all hot and sweaty. You have been warned…