I was very excited about doing the Y's Rock the 80's race for several reasons: it's fun, it's close to home, many members of my run club were participating, and the course was designed by the leader of my run club and another member. I was originally planning to do the 10-mile race but I wasn't far enough along in my training; plus, I wanted to ensure I'd be back in time to do the Fun Run with my kids. So in the end I opted for the five-miler. (Note that this race was measured in miles, not kilometers!) I was also excited once I thought about planning my 80's outfit! Instead of going for the traditional 80's valley girl look, with a side ponytail, leggings and neon colors, I decided to go for the Dirt Rocker girl look, which is much closer to how I was in high school, even though that was in the 90's. I really wanted to wear a Metallica shirt because they were my favorite band back in the day, but when I went to Hot Topic in search of an 80's-era Metallica shirt they didn't have any. I settled for an overpriced, brand-new Guns N' Roses shirt that looked like it had been around since 1987. A studded pleather wrist cuff and a skull bandana completed my ensemble nicely.
The race had a start time of 8:00, so it was still very chilly when I left my house. All three of my kids were still in bed and in the care of my wonderful, encouraging husband. It was also extremely foggy! I took extra care driving to the Y, questioning the wisdom of wearing all black clothing.
I met up with fellow members of the O'Fallon Y's No Boundaries run club for some joking and words of encouragement, and we made sure to stop by the timing booth to say hi to our fearless leader, Robin, who designed the day's courses. My run club is composed of an amazing group of strong, supportive, fun women, and my life has been so enriched by knowing them. Much love, ladies! We were milling around waiting for the race to start, and then all of a sudden it did!
I started out fairly slow but steady. Not in the rear, but not quite the middle, either. Immediately my glasses started giving me a problem. The foggy conditions led to constant fogging of my glasses. I wish I could run without them but that really isn't an option! I had to settle for taking them off periodically and wiping them off with my shirt. And as it turns out, a studded pleather wrist cuff is not the most comfortable item to wear while running, either! It kept rubbing on my wrist and I knew I'd have raw skin if I didn't remove it, so it was gone before I was through the first mile. I carried it in my hand for a couple miles before I finally had the sense to fasten it to the Spibelt around my waist.
Toward the end of Mile 2, I started to catch a good stride. First, I passed a pair of guys in their 20s. Then I started up the large hill on North Lincoln. I thought about what Robin had taught me about hills: don't lean into them, even though you want to. I kept myself upright and tried not to shorten my pace. Huffing and puffing - and keeping my 45-minute goal in mind - I passed another runner on the hill! The only person I was truly interested in racing against was myself, but the psychological boost I got from passing those runners - especially the guy on the hill, since a hill is my natural nemesis - was very powerful for me! I needed little recovery time at the top of the hill and I started going decidedly faster.
At about 3.5 miles came THE hill. The hill on North Smiley, shortly before Wildwood. Anyone who has ever run south on Smiley in O'Fallon is surely familiar with it. I crossed the street to the left because I think it is easier to go up that side - and no one had better dare try to disillusion me on that! I took some deep breaths to fill my lungs with oxygen, remembered again to stay upright, and went up that hill far faster than I ever have in the countless times I've tackled it before! Recovery time was a little tougher after that one, but I knew what was just ahead: the four-mile mark! Home free!
It is so gratifying to hear people cheering in the distance as you approach the finish line. I can't even describe how it feels. I barreled down the length of sidewalk leading to the Y's parking lot, which made me think of Anthony Kiedis running in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge" video. Robin taught us to always speed up at the end of a run, and hopefully I did her proud! I passed the finish line at 48.37. It was more than the 45 minutes I was shooting for, but I still came in at under a 10-minute split! I drank some water and dashed home to get my kids, hoping to be back in time to see my 10-miler friends pass the finish line. I didn't quite make it, but I still got to see them and congratulate them on a job well done! We went inside and warmed up in the sauna for a few minutes. (I decided I still don't like saunas!)
We headed back outside for the award announcements, arriving toward the end, but in time to hear Amanda's name announced for first place in her age division. I fully expected her to win and was so happy for her, especially considering it was her first race! We rushed back inside to warm up and get our kids for the Fun Run. On the way back out I was told I had won one of the prizes for Best Dressed. "Hey, at least I won something!" I said. It was a gift certificate for one paid class, so I know I'll put it to good use, too.
We had a great time with the kids during the Fun Run (which was composed of Run Club members' kids only!), and when we went back in both Maria and Robin told me they thought they had heard my name called while the medals were being given out. I didn't think that was possible at all! Robin had the finish times on her laptop and checked them and, to my surprise, I learned I placed second in my age division! I couldn't help but tear up a little! I never thought I could win anything in a race - not until I get older and the competition dwindles, at least! Less than a year ago, I did my first 5K and I wasn't even able to run the entire thing! It felt pretty amazing to be the recipient of a medal, even though it was a small race and all the really fast runners did the 10-miler. :)
I'm feeling a lot more positive about running these days. I want to keep going, and I want to run that half marathon on Mother's Day! I set that goal a couple months ago and I made promises to my run club ladies, so I'm going to stick with it!
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| Second place, in your face! |
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