Just won a trip to Ghana. No big deal. Happens all the time.

So Friday night I was in my usual spot - in front of the computer, browsing through Utah race listings, trying to decide where to race in the morning. I don't know if other places are like this... maybe CA... but there are a RIDICULOUS number of races every single weekend in Utah. I love it, of course, but it just amazes me. Everyone and their dog throw a 5K for this or that cause. I honestly wish I could do them all, (well, the small ones - I stay away from the big races because I'm embarrassingly slow compared to college) because I absolutely love competing in fun runs. Best way to start a Saturday. But with so many options, I have to weigh out the pros and cons - entry fee, driving distance, charitable cause, race distance, family activities, prizes, start time.... it's very complicated, and I spend a ridiculous amount of time obsessing over my choices. Especially when it's a tough choice, like this weekend. I wanted to do the half marathon in Layton: short drive, long distance.... but they were charging $80!!! Ridiculous! Almost offensive. Who do they think they are?! No way I'd pay that. Especially with a 6:30am start time (ugh) and no prizes besides ribbons/trophies (LAMElameLAME - why do race directors waste their money on those?! I'd rather receive a banana. Or a gift certificate for lots of bananas.)  Then I thought I'd go do a 10K at Thanksgiving Point. It looked really fun. But that's a 40 minute drive. 80 minutes roundtrip. That's a lot of my day wasted and too much time away from kiddos.
And there were NO OTHER longer distances races. Just a dozen or so 5Ks within a 20 minute drive.

So I decided to go for the Barefoot 5K at Sugarhouse Park.
I really like that park - so big and pretty - and it's a short drive from me. Brian had to work, so I got a babysitter (well, traded with a friend who also has 3 kids and is brave enough to watch 6 on a Saturday morning). I wanted to call the race director and make sure it was ok to not run barefoot (I happen to like shoes), so when I checked out their site for contact info, I saw at the top in small print:  Male & Female winners win all-expense paid trip to Ghana in 2012!

And my jaw dropped a little.

Whhhaaattt?!

A trip to Africa for winning a little 5K at my favorite park in Utah?!  Couldn't be right. So I went to the race's Facebook page  (all events of every kind should have a facebook page. Makes it so much easier/interactive/fun)  and found out that it was legit. The male and female winner would get to join the Humanitarian Aid Relief Team (HART) in their 2012 trip to Ghana to help build a remote medical facility, and compete in the Kukuom 5K there. 

But then I thought - there's no way I could win. A prize like this will bring out the serious runners - the ones who actually train - not just the weekend warriors like me. I don't wanna waste my time and money on a short race when I need to be doing longer races.

This is my jittery, anxiety-filled, butterfly-tummied 
pre-race face.

But I just felt like I should go. I know that sounds a little metaphysical, but I really did. I couldn't stop picturing myself in Ghana, even though I wasn't even sure it was logistically possible - I mean, I have 2 nursing baby-toddlers who still sometimes wake up at night - who's going to sign up for 9 days of that?! But I went to the race anyway. 

I donated a couple pairs of shoes to the stash headed to Africa.
 I felt like a wimp for not actually racing barefoot, but I did donate
 my racing shoes afterwards. Now I need to go buy new racing shoes
 for the first time in 4 years. Being an amateur is expensive. 

And I won.

I WON!

Such a fluke. This rarely happens - a small race with a huge prize. But - pinch me - I found it!

So amazing. And strange.  

There's a little more the story of "winning".... I wasn't actually the first female to cross the finish line. I probably would've been, but I - along with the top 7 men - were led the wrong way by a volunteer at a water station. I was so bummed, cuz I was on a great pace (for me). They yelled at us to turn around after we'd gone about 1/3 mile off. I was crushed. And furious. And trying not to show it, cuz who likes a sore loser or winner?! So I almost caught up with Sara and Ayisha at the end, but not quite.  There was a very awkward period between the time we finished and the time they decided to give the prize to BOTH Sara and I (Ayisha wasn't eligible - she's from Ghana and helped organize the race). 

Why can't I dance like them? Oh yeah, because I'm white.

The Ghanian dancers and drummers put on a
really fun show pre- and post-race. 

Ayisha and her adorable son dancing at the post-race party.
Such an amazing girl - she treated me like we had been BFs forever -
 hugs and laughing and chatting it up.
And she danced with her little boy like no one was watching.
I wanna be more like her. 

Sara and I with our relics (masks). She's 20 and from SLC and is
obligated to be my new BF since we'll go to Africa together.

I'm actually so thrilled it ended up that way. Partly because I got a better workout from a slightly longer race and the adrenaline rush of trying to catch up.... but mostly because Sara will go too, so I'll have a friend besides the male winner! (I think his name was Peter. College kid.) 

When I got home I kinda freaked out - like - did that really happen?!  Did I dream it all up?  I don't wanna start telling people and feel like an idiot when I have to say, uh, nevermind about that Ghana thing.  Just made it up trying to get attention....

But then I received an email:

from Tim Collings  date Sat, Oct 8, 2011 at 4:44 PM subject Going to Africa...!!

Hey Speedy!
So glad you won!  Just think, you could have stayed home in your snuggie and watched Nacho Libre eating Cinnamon Toast crunch today...but instead you ran your guts out and now you get to go to Africa in November of 2012 with the HART Team:D 
I can promise it will be a life changing experience for you and something you will want to share with everyone you know.  It's had that impact on all of us who have been over. 
We will keep in touch over the next months and be sure to include you in HART activities between now and then.  You really should come to some of our upcoming preparations and get a taste for the good people that are involved in this cause.   I'll be sure to add you to the HART email list as well.
Congratulations once again, we are proud to have you on our team.
Tim Collings, HART Board Member and Barefoot Race Director

Accepting my prize. I always feel awkward in the spotlight.
And I'm sure it shows.  (stole this photo off the site - sorry!)

So it's for real! I'm really going to Africa! I bet he's right - it will be a life-changing experience. I really have no idea what to expect (except that I will for sure get my trash kicked by hundreds of Ghanians at the Kukuom 5K there). And I hope I get to be really involved in the humanitarian work. And maybe see the temple there.

My sweet African relic I won. It will be my Halloween costume.

I now have about 13 months to prepare my children to be ok without mommy for a little while! And Brian will get lots of QT with them :)  But it's only fair, because this trip will happen just 2 months after Brian's own Africa adventure (hiking Kilimanjaro).   

How crazy is all this?!   ahhhhhh!