Autumn Breeze

Seriously, with a name like “Autumn Breeze,” you KNOW this is going to be an awesome race.

Though Kelsey and I joked that we were going to beat our 5k-running-hubbys in our 10k, they did (thankfully) beat us – and by more than 20 minutes, too! For two men who have done little to no training, they did pretty well. Not as great as Kelsey and me, but good nonetheless. ;)

We have determined that Kelsey and Kyle have similar running styles, and Dustin and I have similar running styles. Dustin and I are giving it our all the entire race. We don’t sprint; we just keep going. Kelsey and Kyle see the finish line and kick it into high gear – something that I, nor Dustin, have the energy to do.

I’ve tried speeding near the end, and, if I’ve had a good run, I can usually do it when pushed. However, this time, I was having a lot of breathing trouble. My asthma was (and is) acting up, and I was doing good just to stay at my same 6.0 mph pace. Kelsey sprinted ahead and beat me by a few seconds, but we both finished at 1:03. Not too shabby for 6.2 miles!

The Autumn Breeze is always a pretty race. It’s by the river, on a nice path, and you get to go over and under bridges. The first two miles are a bit annoying, as we’re passing up people (and being passed, too) and moving around to get out of the “clogged up” zone. And, of course, there’s the two-mile stretch, where we just go straight for a full two miles. Ugh. Give me a turn or something!! Miles 3 and 4 are a bit sad, but 5 and 6 are exciting, because you KNOW you’re almost done.

This is our second year to do this 10k. And, while it is pretty and is a flat run (always a plus), there’s the swag: the awesome HOODIES you get with this race. Yep, hoodies. In 2009, they were quite hideous, this awful bright orange color that was unflattering on everyone. Glad we didn’t run that race! Last year they were burnt orange and nice, and this year, brown with leaves falling.

Photo courtesy of Tara H.

Sigh. I heart fall.

Oh! And for your eating pleasure, whip up some of these scrumptious gingerbread cupcakes. Rindy and I made these Saturday night after a friend’s wedding, and not only did they make a perfect amount (12 cupcakes), but they are quite tasty and easy to make. You do need to convert the grams into cups, but that doesn’t take too long.

Lastly, our Sunday School class is giving us a housewarming tonight, which I'm really excited about! Soon, I promise, I'm going to start taking pictures of the house and give you a before and after look at our home sweet home.