Yesterday, April 23, Sydney, Lyndsey and I did the "Run For The Cheetah." It started at 7:30 am. It was a 5K run ( a little over 3 miles) and it was at Papago Park. I think about 400 people participated. It was hard for all three of us. The girls were making fun of how slow I was running at first, but by the first mile they were having a hard time keeping up. I ran without stopping for over a mile. The weather was beautiful and perfect. Most of the run went along the canal. I have never participated in any kind of run or athletic event. This is my first time. I'm so proud of myself for doing it. And of my girls. We were not fast, but we finished. And we RAN across the finish line. You HAVE to run across the finish line.

It was to raise money and awareness about the beautiful and endangered cheetah. It was put on by The Cheetah Conservation Fund founded by Dr. Laurie Marker who was named TIME magazine's Hero of the Planet for her research work.

There are only about 12,000 cheetahs left in the wild. Most of them are in Namibia, Africa. They can run up to 60 mph. And they could be gone in 20 years.

It felt really good to do something good. I'm glad I did it with my girls.

There is another run on June 17 in Flagstaff, "Gaspin in the "Aspen." It is a 5K and a 15K trail run. Tyler and I are going to do this one. The whole family is going to go up and spend a couple of days up there. It should be so much fun. I don't think it is a fundraiser though. And then there is another one at the same place, the Flagstaff Nordic Center, that is in October and it is a Dualthelon: 2.5K run, then 10K bike ride, then another 2.5K run. We need to buy bikes. Tyler and I started practicing today. We did a mile.

I don't care if we come in last, we're doing this.

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I had kind of an epiphany yesterday. It had kind of been building for awhile, bits and pieces would surface, but never collectively. And it all kind of came together last night in my head. I need to organize my thoughts a little, I'm at work right now, but I will try to write when I get home in the morning.

It's kind of a big thing.

Love you Royce.

Love you Nikki.

Miss you Cathy.

Miss you Heather - maybe you could go up to Flagg with us.

Trailady - where have you been? Are you ok?

Deb - I need to catch up on you. Hope all is good with you.

Gina - miss you so much. More than you know.

Come see my "My Space". www.myspace.com/barbsinnerspace

PEACE