I almost never get around to scrapping photos within a few days of an event, but when I came across a scrapping contest on the PageMaps blog and saw the sketch that entries were to be based on, I knew it would be a perfect layout for these photos. That, and I'd just found my little HP Photosmart 335 4x6 printer in a box from storage and was itching to play with it again (don't worry, Mom, the 2000P still gets quite a workout!). This is my page (you can click on the image to see a larger version):
Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Patterned Paper: Basic Grey, Sassafras, Stud Swirls: Prima, Punch: Martha Stewart Crafts, Letter Stickers (large): Pink Paislee, Letter Stickers (small): Making Memories, Ribbon: American Crafts, Paint: Making Memories, Pen: Signo
And this is the sketch that it's based on. I'm a very literal sketch user- I almost never change things up (my brain just isn't wired that way).
So, now that you've seen the layout, here's the story of the whole event.
I wasn't even scheduled to run this race. I'd seen signs for it during the week as I drove past UAH each day on my way home from work, but since I was planning on being out of town for the weekend to visit my parents, I didn't really give much thought to registering. My trip was canceled, though, because Mom still isn't feeling well at all (I hope you get better soon!), and at the last minute I decided to sign up.
I woke up Saturday morning expecting gloomy skies because of forecasted rain, but it was fairly sunny...for about 20 minutes. Then the thunder and lightning started, followed shortly by torrents of rain. Not a big deal- it wasn't a cold day, and I figured running in the rain wouldn't kill me. Running in a thunderstorm can be just a little lethal, though, so they held off starting the race until 20 minutes after the last lightning strike, giving me time to run (well, drive) home and grab the D3 and lens-zilla (the 70-200 f/2.8) so Darren could take photos for me (instead of the waterproof digital camera we'd originally planned on). Living 5 minutes from the starting line has its advantages.
Finally the rain cleared and they lined everyone up to start. That's me in the middle, talking to a guy you can't see who was going to run the race with his beagle, which you can kind of see. Believe it or not, the dog ran the whole race.
Almost as soon as we started (as in, within about two minutes) the rain started to pour down again (no lightning this time) so we got to run the entire race soaking wet. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be- it did keep me from using my iPod (not a big deal) since I don't have a waterproof pack for it, and for some reason wet shoelaces come untied a whole lot more easily than dry ones (that was a big deal). I stopped to re-tie once and then ran what I think was the last two miles with one shoe untied when it came undone again.
I say I think it was the last two miles because someone forgot to mark the halfway point, which was also the turnaround point in the course. Most of the pack turned around at Wilson Hall, but I was pretty sure that we were supposed to go to the Bevill Center a little further down. Turns out I was right, and a few people did follow me all the way down. Darren got a little worried when people who had been behind me suddenly showed back up at the 1 mile marker, and I was nowhere in sight! He thought he'd missed me somehow, or I'd had knee trouble and had to quit.
You'd think that all the confusion would have thrown off the placements, but on top of everything else, their timing system crashed (meaning there were no placements)! Crazy!! The only way I have any inkling of what my time was was by checking the time stamps on the beginning and ending photos from the D3. I'm totally thrilled with my time of 30:15 (plus or minus a few seconds). It's faster than my last 5K before surgery, and if I hadn't had to stop to re-tie my shoe and then again to have a debate about where we were supposed to turn around, I would have been under 30 minutes!
Darren caught photos of a couple of the girls who are in the Biology program at UAH (he takes graduate classes there and participates in one of the lab groups). Erica (below) pretty much smiled the entire race. And right after it was over she went to ballet class. Wow.
And this is Kat (who's in his lab group). I'd actually met her before at a hockey game.
So that's the story of my drenched 5K. :) I've got another one scheduled for this coming Saturday- here's hoping for better weather (and a marked course).
I'm linking this to:
