Back the crazy train up to October 4th. My daughter and I ran the 5k together. For me, it was part of a running challenge to get 3 medals. The more bling the better, right? For my daughter, it was a matter of conquering 3.1 miles.
We arrived early, numbers pinned on, ready to go. At the back of the pack at the last second, she has to go. Thank goodness we were 1) at the back of the line and 2) near porta potties. As we started walking forward, she made it back to me. We ran intervals at 2:1 and towards mile 3 probably did more walking then running, but she did it! I am proud of her for trying and for sticking with it and for accomplishing the goal she set herself.
We came, we conquered, we ate.
When it was all said and done, we got our medals, she had a shiny new PR and then we had some YUMMY soup. J&A always puts on a good race and the after party food is delicious!
The next morning, we got up early to drop my daughter off at a friends and off I went to the half. Clearly, I miss calculated how long it would take me to get there as there was no traffic, I got to park in front of the start and I pretty much had another hour of nap time. I even had time to settle my stomach and eat a little before the race. Such a thing is normally unheard of.
Finally, it was time to hop out of my nice warm car into the chilly weather to meet the girls for a pre race pic. Everyone was a little chilly and had throw aways (an old shirt you toss once you warm up running). I did not and just sucked it up in my short sleeve shirt.
Group Pic.
Pictures done and off the porta potties, where I found the missing group member...
I then lined up with my BRF. I never seem to run with her, but I love to start with her. Makes the race start with all those people easier to swallow, plus, she's funny! We talked goals real quick. She had splits her coach had handed over and I had two goals. Overall, I wanted to beat 2:30:00, better yet, I wanted to run 11:00/mile the whole way. We swapped the age old advice "Remember not to go out too fast", off went the gun and...we waited. Yep, those of us at the back don't hear the gun go off and then run. We creep, wait, creep some more, listen to the announcer joke, creep some more, and then get to run.
The first mile went fast. Too fast. I was at more of a 10:00/mile then an 11:00/mile, but what the heck, and I kept going. Sure enough, about mile two my left leg started to hurt. I was compensating for the stupid right ankle I hurt at Rock n Roll the month before. It was my sign to slow down. I walked a bit to get rid of the tightness and got into a good groove. I turned off the intervals so I could no longer see my pace and just ran. About mile 8 I started passing people I knew. Hmmm, they must have stopped for water, stopped to walk off a cramp or maybe...something. I kept going. The course had changed from last year and it was prettier then before. No stinky fish factory, a little less gross and more pretty. It wasn't crazy humid and there was plenty of water. There is a hill right before you hit the water and another at the end of the race that is an over pass. I love hills. They are tough, make my legs and lungs ache, but I love them. So I bent at the waist, dropped my shoulders and pulled up my head. Almost there, don't stop, don't slow down, just keep going.
I crossed the finish and saw the clock. I knew I was ahead of the 2:30 pacer, but I also knew I was behind him when I started so I had to be close. I would see the official time when it posted later. I got my medal and then hurried off to get my daughter. Later, when I checked the time and saw 2:24:14 I almost fell out of my chair. Wahoo! Way to go me! Unfortunately, I have to do it again and now that I have beaten 2:30:00 I have to beat 2:20:00. Note to self, miss calculate travel time in your favor, run a fun 5k the day before, make sure the weather is very cool, eat breakfast and just run, you will have an awesome race.
Easier said then done.
A couple of weeks later, the girls and I were off to Dover, DE for the Monster Mash half. I was cranky the whole time. Well, except while actually running,
Monster Mash guy
We got our packets the night before the race at Dover Downs. The Monster guy was there to welcome us and those guys where there to photo bomb. Easiest packet pick up EVER! The race director even came over to give us a personal hello. Better yet, the shirts weren't gross yellow/green. Then it went down hill. Dinner was a pain with what we were told was a 20 minute wait. Ha! It took even longer to get to our food. Maybe they plucked the chicken out back first? By that time, we were too tired to gamble and off to bed we went.
It was a fairly small race and had some cryptic instructions about not walking the first 4 miles. What, the Monster will step off the speed way and come get us? No, but the traffic might. The first part of the race was through route 13. A MAJOR road, and we ran right in the middle of it and crossed it. Thank goodness for the men in blue helping out. Even if they were cranky that they had to be there in the first place.
You could tell it wasn't going to be a PR from the start. I just wasn't into it. It was a nice course, there were friendly people and it was actually some nice quiet reflective running in some places. But I wasn't feeling the push to break time records so I just tried to enjoy it. This got rid of the cranky for a while. I do very much like running. Crazy, my friends say, crazy, the posters say. Whatever, I like my crazy.
Quiet roads in Dover, DE
By the time the race was done, so was I. I got a really cool spinny medal though! and COFFEE! They gave me FREE ICED COFFEE! They must have known I was coming. Oh wait, I was on the registration list. Okay, so I am not really that funny, but try to laugh a little. Besides, I do like coffee and now Delaware is checked off the states list.
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