Last Saturday, I ran in the Draper Trails Day 6 mile run. I just wanted to run on trails with other people because 1) I'm afraid of wildlife (there has been a Rocky Mountain sheep attack on one of our friends-he's okay) 2) I would rather someone else break through the cobwebs (lots of trees= lots of spiders!) and 3) I like to run outside! The first three miles UP A MOUNTAIN was tough, but then I flew downhill-it was a blast. After the race, while I was eating my Costco muffin (I deserved those 600 calories!) and orange slice, I heard my name--I got 3rd place! I got this great white ribbon:

Hey, I just wanted to enjoy the out of doors and wow, 3rd place! Now, many of you may be saying, "But Gina, 2nd place got a ribbon AND a loaf of Great Harvest bread." I say to that, "I run because I eat too much bread and I love ribbons!"



But it got me thinking....I often work on a sewing project just because I like it. Any accolades are great. But let me tell you, when you get 3rd place or when someone sees something you made and "oooohs" over it--same great feeling! You can do something someone else can't do, you can! So you should do it and maybe get a little lift from it!




Now that's not to say everything will go smoothly.


The race wasn't really 6 miles. I wore my GPS and it was actually 7.05 miles. Sometimes a project will take longer than we think.



I started out with some high school track team doing a little summer training. What was I thinking? I really thought I could keep up with 15 year old boys? Yeah, they ran too fast for me! It's okay to evaluate your project and save it for another day. I slowed down.

I latched on to a couple of women going a realistic pace and made some new friends. Find people who can work with you through the project.

At the top of the mountain, my husband and girls were waiting for me to cheer me on. Share your project with others for encouragement. It's okay if you're not finished yet!


I lagged behind my new friends because I talked with my family, so I had to run really fast to catch up with them. I kept them in sight and set my goal to beat them to the finish (I can be a friend while running, but I'm a competitor!) Set specific goals to get your project done in a timely manner.


I sprinted up the finishing hill with another lady on my heels-she wasn't going to catch me after all my hard work the last half of the race. Finish your project!

Now, if you're not going to sew something--go run!