better, faster, farther
Today I ran my first 5kNow-
I have a different opinion on these types of things.
It was not my first time to run 3-whatever miles.
So I really hate saying it was my first-
But it was my first ever race.
Hate calling it that too,
I'm slow, and not competetive.
Let's just say it was my first ever
Numbers, T-shirt, Hoopla.
I would really love to rant about how I despise the mentality,
That it takes a race to affirm one's running prowess.
But I'll spare you.
Because for the first time I ran consistently faster than I ever have before.
And no- I did't shatter any records-
I may have even come in dead last- for all I know
But I do know this-I got past a pace that has been haunting me.
So what was the race like?
Well, for starters I was running late- no surprise there.
Breakfast was a banana
(hate them, but heard they were a good choice)
Down it went
Water
Melaluca Access bar
(the chocolate caramel ones are so yummy)
Fidgeted with the bib pinning thing-
Then took it off to figure out later
Pulled out a new pair of Feetures socks--
Bought the wrong style
They were 'Light'
I like 'Lightly Cushioned'
Got out old pair.
Surprised myself and pulled out my Brooks Cascadias
(What better choice for a race sponsored in part by Brooks)
Shoes tied in the most 'hard-core' double knot I could muster.
Out the door.
Drive and park.
The real test begins
Where do I go?
What do I do?
Heard my name,
Some friendly voice was rescuing me!
It was B's mom.
She chatted me up and calmed me down-
Kept me from pinning my bib numbers on upside-down too.
Saw both sis-in-laws, each had family in tow
Saw friends
Shoot!
Everybody and their mother IS here!
Nervous again.
Porta potty break
One older gentleman was slightly appalled that I was standing in line in front of a BLUE instead of PINK potty....
There was only one pink potty,
And that line was......hmmm
I let him cut in front of me.
5 minute warning is announced.
I try to situate myself in the running pool, somewhere in the middle.
Endomondo at the ready
Gun start.
Running feet all around me
Pulling me with them
All I could think was,
Is THIS what it feels like- to run a race?
I try to remember all the things I told myself I would tell myself -
But there just wasn't time,
Everyone was running so fast.
So I ran, tried to not worry about the feet passing me.
First turn
Second turn,
First Mile- wow, 2 minutes faster than I usually do a first mile!
Thought it would slow me down,
But I knew there was a crazy huge hill coming up,
So I just kept running.
Well, I wogged in there too.
Mile 2- crazy hill.
I'd driven it the night before,
Told myself "it's not THAT bad"
Visualized myself running gloriously up it-
But now that it was staring me in the face,
I was beginning to worry.
Heard the gals in front of me say "ah heck, let's just walk it"
I passed them
Then I couldn't will myself to go any further.
They passed me.
Mile 3-
The excitement kicked in
A beautiful downhill behind me,
a bit of a flat before.
I CAN DO THIS!
I round the corner
And notice the runners ahead
WHAT!
Another hill???
I had thought we were only a block away from the downhill finish
Here we were doing yet another hill before the final decent.
I will say I struggled.
Final approach had me pummelling down the hill to try to save some time-
One misstep and I'd be flat on my face
THEN Endomondo told me I'd met and beat my time goal.
I was thrilled.
Final turn to the finish-
I was pretty much on my own down this stretch
Had this weird feeling that maybe I was really slow
Got self conscious
Heard friends cheering
Tried to do "something exciting" when camera guy took a shot
Done.
Forgot to stop endomondo
Who knows what official time is.
I don't really care.
I ran those first 3 miles-
5 minutes faster than I did at the beginning of the week.
Chatted with friends
Family
*Sigh*
******************************
Driving home, I was mortified to think I'd not taken one photo to commemorate this race!
Much like racing affirms your running prowess,
A picture confirms that it actually happened!
(and I'm here to tell you I know the "something exciting" running pose I did will surely be a bust)
So I wrangled a pose and took a shot when I got home.
I really enjoyed this race.
I've always turned up my nose at smaller distance races-
That won't happen again.
Now I know-
Races make you want to-
Better
Faster
Farther
Think I need to look up my next race
Whether or not I get to go,
I want to be ready!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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