Race Report

Friday night I was at home and I was surprisingly lackadaisical about everything.   I was on top of it in terms of my camera and that fun that was planned for my Saturday.  However the night before a run I usually have my clothes laid out.  I usually have my socks and shoes lined up.  I have everything ready.  Not this time.  It was a rather odd feeling

Saturday morning my alarm went off bright and early (5:30...yeah, on a Saturday).  I checked the weather and grabbed some random clothes.  (Hey, I matched....sorta....black capri exercise pants, white long sleeve teeshirt and a teeshirt over that.  Nothing fancy.)  My sister in law had given me a muffin to try.  I saved it for breakfast.  (Yummy).  I loaded up my water jug and I was out the door.  I got there early.   Signed in and went back to my car to wait.  Running a race on your own isn't bad....the only issue is that waiting for it to start.  So I did what I did last year at the Paws on the Pavement..I took my kindle and read in the car. I knew my friend Paula had said that she was going to arrive and register that morning......so I awaited her text.  Eventually it came.  We talked, checked out the bathrooms and headed to the start line.

Ready or not, lets get this race rolling!

I was nervous.  Seriously nervous.  On Monday I couldn't stand up straight and on Saturday I'm running a 5k race?  I vowed to accept whatever happened.  Finishing would be the victory.   However, I admit.....I still wanted my PR that I had been hoping for.

They started us off.  Random thoughts went through my head.  "weeeee....welcome back running."   and "Hmmm....my back is a bit tender."   About a half mile in I looked at Paula and said "my hip's a little achy".  But I kept running.  I ran straight for the first mile.  From that point on I would run for 10 minutes or so and then walk for a minute or two.  I was keeping pace with this one girl in a purple shirt girl. I was DETERMINED to catch up to her..  She was walking and jogging in intervals....and I would run up on her and just as I got to her back...she would start running again.  GRRR  I kept chasing her down though.

I got to about mile three.   Hoooooo-leeee moley!  I was feeling it.  Where?  My back?  Nope, that was a bit tender but not bad.  The hip the same.  I was feeling it in the pit of my stomach and how weird...I was feeling lightheaded.    About this time I passed the purple shirt girl....but she hung on my tail the rest of the way.   I crossed the line.  I crossed the line at 39:37.    1 minute and 17 seconds slower than my best ever pace.  Disappointed...but actually tickled that that is all the time  I lost considering I was running injured!

I slowed down after running across the sensor mats and walked up to one of the guys that was cutting the timing chips off of our shoes.  I stood there while he worked on releasing my timing chip (yeah, I'm a bit anal when I put them on..those suckers are there to STAY).  I honestly just wanted to tell him. "Dude, I have to sit down or I'm going to pass out!"   Thankfully, he was pretty quick about it and I headed out of the finishing corral.  Paula and I grabbed water and that did the trick.

We hung around and talked while we waited for the official times to be posted.  

We decided to hang out and watch the rest of the runners come in.....so we moved to the side of he chute and watched.  We started talking to the purple shirt girl.  YAY...a new friend and running buddy for these runs!   (Turns out she got into running but the people that started running with her stopped running...she still does it though...on her own....information has been exchanged to keep in touch!)

Paula and I decided that we were hungry...so we headed out to Waffle House for a breakfast/lunch.  YUMMY!     

I noticed it when I moved after our meal.  My left hip....YIKES!  OUCH!  I just want to groan and say "not another injury".  I'm sure it's probably just a strain or whatnot..but it stiffens up and hurts when I move after a period of inactivity.  Sleeping last night....everytime I moved I was aware of it.  NO FUN!

I got home...walked in the door.  I went to the bathroom and then I got the call that my side hobby client was ready!  WEEEEEEE   I grabbed my camera bag and headed out the door.  

Finally home for good at 2 or 3 PM.  I had a friend stop by later in the evening.  But the rest of the day was spent with laundry, light cleaning and whatnot. (And I started looking at the pictures....these are pretty much SOOC  (straight out of the camera..no editing).   

Busy day. A victory splashed with a little bit of pain and sprinkled with a lot of fun!  :-)

 

Paws on the Pavement Race Report

Well, I wrote about my concerns and fears.  And here we go......MF faced her fears and put herself out there and pushed and this is what happened!

On Friday afternoon and evening I made a bit of a boo boo.  I worked around the house, cleaning and moving furniture.  Round about 7PM my legs ACHED!  I was nervous.  On no!!!   But undaunted I laid out my clothes so that I didn't have to think about what to put on early in the morning.   I set my alarm for 5:45 and knew that I wanted to leave the house at about 6:30.  I wanted to be there when the preregistered lines opened.  I was hoping to get a close parking spot so I didn't have to trek back and forth to my car.  I went to bed and fell asleep and fell right to sleep.  My sleep was interrupted when Todd finally came to bed but I was good.  

Saturday morning I woke up early, before the alarm.  I liked that.  It gave me the chance to lay in bed for a few minutes and wake up gradually.....so when the alarm went off I was ready to roll.  It didn't take me long to get ready and I even had a bit of time to sit back and relax while eating my breakfast.   After my last bite was chewed, my laces tightened and my HR monitor on, I headed out the door. 

I arrived at the location early and had GREAT parking.  I walked over to the registration and picked up my swag bag and my bib.  It was just a hop skip and a jump and I headed over to get my timing chip.  And then began the WORST part of the day.  I had about 50 minutes until the race started.  I affixed my bib and attached my timing chip.  My car was close (thank heavens) so I sat in my car and picked up my kindle.  Yes, I had wisely brought it along anticipating the long wait.  I read the time away.  My aunt walked by and talked to me for a few minutes, but she was with her friend so it was short lived.  I kept reading.    With about 10-15 minutes I moved to the start area. I of course chit chatted with a few people and petted some doggies (this was after all put on by the humane society so dogs were more than welcome).  Ironically enough, the start line had me positioned near my aunt and a lady that I know from the Sharpsburg area.  I chit chatted with them and then we were off. 

Immediately I was shocked.  I picked up my comfortable pace and I was weaving around people and moving forward a bit.  Yeah, there were a bunch of people passing me by but I was passing others by.  That kind of felt good.     Almost instantaneously my breathing went wonkers.  My first thought was "on no"   I looked at my HR monitor and yes, my HR was high.  I knew that I wasn't dying that I was just keyed up so I just settled myself down....breathed deeply and slowed it down a tick until I got myself under control. 

I was wearing headphones but listening low enough that I could hear the talking around me.  I saw a lady just ahead of me that was running my pace.  I kept pace with her until she started walking.  I wished her good luck and kept going.   I was still running and I was feeling good.  My HR was higher than I normally run but I wasn't concerned.  I heard my aunt behind me and realized that we were running about at the same pace.  I started to wonder.....you see, she ran a race last Sunday and did it in 37 minutes.  I kept going.   We had an incline and I ran up that puppy.  Admittedly I had to walk for about 10 seconds afterward.  No...I didn't HAVE to walk...I did walk and then realized that I was walking and didn't need to so I picked it back up.  I passed the first mile marker and kept going.   My aunt at the water station took a cup of water and threw it at me...I laughed and turned around and acted like I was shakin' my goods at her. I swiveled around and kept running.   I was just having run.

I then noticed all the young girls.  Elementary age......Girls on the Run was running in this race.  It's an elementary based program where they have a 12 week running program and then the girls run a 5k.  This was the 5k they selected.  Some of the girls were getting tired and I had fun encouraging them as I either I passed them or they passed me.  It was simple stuff a "You got this!"  or "You are doing great!"    It helped me.  I was keeping rough pace with a group of 4 of these girls and their mother.  (they were two sets of twins and best friends to boot).  They would run and then back off to a walk so we were leap frogging because I was running the whole time.    Every time I would come up on them I would say in a sing song voice "the old lady is catching up and passing you by"   They would take off and skip away and just laugh.  So I had some fun with them.  It helped the time pass and kept me going. 

I admittedly walked about MAYBE 30 seconds....TOTAL. 

Finally I saw the finish line.  I had done it.  I wasn't thinking about my time other than to know that my Aunt was still within spitting distance (she and I had leapfrogged through the run also as she walked on occasion).  I rounded the corner and came up upon the finish line and I couldn't believe my eyes.  The clock was showing 38 minutes!  What???? No way!! NOOOOOOO Freaking way!!!!!!  I finished strong!!!!!!!!

My official time 38 minutes and 20 seconds!

Slapping Fear Silly

Well, my next 5k is tomorrow.  Paws on the Pavement to benefit the humane society in my county.   I'm as ready as I'm going to be.  I probably shouldn't have come home today and cleaned so vigorously.  My legs are aching.  Oops.  Oh well..that's life. And I wanted to try to to have a clean house to start off our 10 days of vacation.   But back to the race tomorrow.   I'm nervous.  Not about running.  No, I will run as much and as hard as I can.  I will walk at a fast clip if I have to.  I'm not worried about that.  I am not nervous about reaching my goal that I set for myself (to run it in under 40 minutes). I know that according to the time on all my training runs that I won't make the goal. I'm still hopeful, but I'm not stressed about it.  I would LOVE to make that goal.  But  I will be happy if I get a better time than my previous 5k's.  But you know what.  I'm going to do it and be happy that I'm out there doing it.

So what makes me nervous and freaked out?   Doing it by myself.   Yes, isn't that totally irrational and stupid?  I admit it, it is asinine!!  I'm excited about my run.   However, the excitement at running this 5k (and if my dreams our met reaching a goal I've been working toward) is tempered with the fear of doing it alone.  (yeah, alone in a crowd ha ha ha).   I know in my mind that this is irrational.  What is going to happen to me because I'm alone???? Nothing.  I know this.  Yet this fear still overtakes me.  Why am I this way?????   I don't like it.

Ready or not...I'm facing this irrational fear tomorrow.  Would I have had more fun if I had a friend or two with me?  Possible....but that wasn't an option for this run and I'm OK with that. I'm still doing it and I'll come out on top at the end.....proud of myself for doing it...for accomplishing my run....for everything.

There is no room in my life for fear and I will banish every stupid fear when the opportunity arises!