Racing what me!
That evening we were having dinner outside in the sunshine, We were approached by one of the Movara people and asked us about doing the 5 k or 10 k race the next day. Free T shirts were in the lobby. We had seen this advertised on the notice board all week, But had both agreed we weren’t really interested.
Somehow we were persuaded that we should do it, not quite sure how that happened. So Elisabet put her name down for the 10 k, and I put mine down for the 5 k. I knew, and so did Elisabet, that I had walked 11 k the day before, so could have done the 10 K. But to be honest there were so many competitive people. I didn’t want to come in last, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. I am not a racer!
We went to get our T shirts and numbers, all very serious. The following day we set off at the usual 8 am hike time, and walked to the start of the race which wasn’t exactly on the doorstep. Then when everyone was gathered together, they rang the starting cow bell.
My first race since my school days
Basically, this race was all uphill outwards and all downhill coming back. The fast walkers were soon off in the distance. I managed to keep a steady pace going uphill, walking alone mainly. At the 5 k turnaround point I could choose to carry on and do the 10 k but decided that I would stick to my guns. Only two people had passed me going back, both men. I didn’t really have any idea where anyone else was, so I thought I might have a chance to come in third.
Setting off down the hill with purpose, as I turned the corner I knew I was in with a chance of completing in less than an hour. Pushing myself to get through the finish line. Success, I did it, third place in 58 minutes and some seconds. I was really pleased with that as a result, and again thought I should do this more often, 5 and 10 k races. So that’s the third new activity I have added to my list.
My husband sent me a message when he saw the post on Facebook saying how well I had done especially at that altitude. But the real bonus of doing the 5 k was I to be able to go back and finish off writing about Las Vegas. There had been no time during the week when I had the energy, time and wherewithal to actually write. I must also mention here that Elisabet came second in the 10 k. She is amazing and so competitive!
Day six and a choice!
We arrive at day six more commonly known as Saturday, it’s flown by. This day was a slightly different in format. No stretch first thing and we had to nominate to do a particular walk. The alternative was to pay extra to go and hike in the Zion National Park. The two walks on offer were the West Canyon and Stop Sign.
Stop sign is a long walk with a very steep hill for quite a distance of the latter part of the hike. The finish is when you reach the Stop Sign, surprisingly. It was known to be quite grueling and used to be compulsory in the days of The Biggest Loser. you hear a lot of people talking about how hard it is. We had pulled out of that earlier in the week after Elisabet’s issues with the altitude. The decision was therefore very easy, to go back to West Canyon.
There were four of us again, but we all went off at our own pace from the start this time. I managed to get a couple of amazing panoramic shots on the walk this time. Its taken some time to figure out how to do it properly. At one point a bird of prey soared over my head. I stopped to watch for a few moments, he started to hover, having seen his prey. Wanting to watch, I was torn, but he was a little too far in the distance, I also wanted to improve on my performance today. Not expecting to make it to the end, if you remember this is the one where you must turn around at 9:30, but I wanted to see if I could improve on my distance from Wednesday.
Eric Clapton – Thank you
This time I remembered to bring my headphones with me and was listening to the Eric Clapton collection whilst I walked. Last year I was off work for a few months after quite a major operation and I started walking on a daily basis. I had been able to achieve five miles walking across fields and on a public footpath. Really enjoying that feeling of freedom. Just you and the road, especially when the sun is shining, listening to music, no stress or pressure, allowing your thoughts to roam, making sense of life.
I feel sure our Mothers, Greta and Helga would have been looking down on us pleased and happy to see us together.
On this hike I really felt at one with the world and at peace. I passed the point I had turned at on Wednesday and carried on for quite a while. On the way back Elisabet passed me much earlier than she did on the Wednesday. She said afterwards that she couldn’t believe how far I had got, she thought I was probably about 15 minutes from the end. That would have been just over a km as I was averaging just over 11 minutes a km. I had walked 11.7 km which is 7.27 mile in old money!
I was very pleased with that performance. That was the last of my hikes in the mountains in Utah, an experience i will never forget. It’s certain I will be doing a lot of walking on the rest of this trip, and I think this experience has put me in the right frame of mind for that.
An easier day
The rest of the day was really a more slimmed down version of the weekday. A final workout in the gym and a final stretch. Many people were going home on Saturday and early Sunday morning, including Elisabet. She was leaving at 03:15 for her minibus to Las Vegas airport to fly home. We had had a wonderful time together, two very different experiences. Both feeling invigorated to carry on with what was next. To continue the good work we had started, both losing weight and inches. I feel sure our Mothers, Greta and Helga would have been looking down on us pleased and happy to see us together, like sisters.
The experience really put me into a good mindset for the next part of my journey, and for my adventure as a whole. Feeling relaxed and happy. My next stop was St George and the Comfort Inn. Ready to catch my Greyhound bus to Denver at 04:30. I left Movara at around 1 pm and checked in to my hotel. A quick trip out to explore, making sure I knew where the bus stop was. It was literally just across the road, perfect planning. I found a restaurant around the corner and had a lovely piece of trout with sweet potatoes and vegetables. A couple of glasses of wine, my first in a week! Watching the sun set whist eating my dinner. Then back to the hotel to try and have an early night, ready for my very early start.
