There is nothing fun about 4:30 in the morning

After my mission I decided I was never getting up early for the rest of my life. This worked for a while. I took afternoon classes at BYU and having a job that requires you to show up at 9:00 isn't so bad. Then I had kids - kids who like to wake up early. There must have been a mix-up at the hospital three times. I have finally trained them to not wake me up before 7:00, but still sometimes I accidently see the sun rise. When it came to motivation this morning the 20 miles I was about to do did not intimidate me - waking up in the middle of the night did.

A friend's daughter was being baptized this morning and I really wanted to go. I had a few options: 1. skip the workout, 2. wake up at 4, do 10 miles out and back and drive over with the family, or 3. just do the workout TO the baptism. I know, #3 sounds pretty nuts but it was going to give me an extra 30 minutes of sleep. Easy decision. Also, there was a shower there so I wouldn't stink. Cecilee's baptism was at the Stake Center next door to the Sacramento Temple, which, by perfect chance, is exactly 20 miles from my house.

As I shoveled down the oatmeal in my kitchen this morning I just kept thinking, "If Oprah can do it, I can do it. If Oprah can do it, I can do it. If Oprah can do it, I can do it." Not that Oprah is my model of health, but she did do a marathon. If Oprah can run a marathon I should be able to kick my self out of bed in the dark every once in a while.

Things were going really well. I had plenty of water and food, my husband texted directions to my phone so I couldn't get lost, plus my ipod was chock full of NPR podcasts so I wouldn't get bored. (Some might disagree with that last part but that's just the kind of gal I am - kind of nerdy as well as physically fit.) Then at about 18.5 miles I hit the freeway. Uh, oops. In all my advance planning I hadn't considered that I couldn't cross where I wanted to. CARS could cross there, just not people - if they wanted to live.

No problem, I thought. I'll just go to the next exit and cross there. I was following a bike path and the jogger I asked said that the next exit was just "a little ways away." Yes, that's true . . . by car! By this point I didn't care if I had to go "a little ways" out of my way. I had decided to walk to the Temple and by jove, if my people could cross the plains and Oprah could run a marathon and I could wake up ON PURPOSE at 4:30 on a Saturday then I was going to do it!

So here we are, just after 20 miles, saying hello to a very shy CA Parks parking attendant. He works at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, a wonderfully exciting place where elementary school kids learn about the life cycle of Salmon. I'm sure other things happen there too when it's not Salmon time but I'm not sure what they are. In any case, the trails around there were certainly pretty and I was certainly pleased with the power of Zyrtec.

We continued "a little ways away" and made it to the Temple entrance! Whoooo! Then we went up a massive, massive hill. Whoouuugh! But we made it. We added an extra three miles to the already completely obscene mileage for the day and had bragging rights forever. (What did you do this weekend? Oh, nothing much, except I walked to the Temple . . . )

Here's Flat Jenny crashing a wedding.

Oh Flat Jenny, I didn't know you had it in you!

And here she is congratulating the newlyweds. I'm pretty sure she had artichokes in her bouquet, which is very Central California chic. (Upon closer inspection I realize they are NOT artichokes but 23 miles makes you think wedding bouquets have veggies in them, I guess.) How weird is this? I had no problems asking them to pose for a photo but I was too shy to ask for their names. So congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Artichoke! Here's to a long and happy life together - and to sleeping in on Saturdays!