Race Recap

I follow several running blogs and Facebook pages of fellow runners.  A handful of these women write post race summary blog entries.  I have never done that because, well my race just isn't that interesting.  

I should add that I have fallen out of my regular gym and running routines for lots of reasons.  The last time I ran - any distance - was a 5K on March 9th. Suffice it to say, "not pretty."  I ran again on Saturday, another 5K race.  I knew going in the course was hilly, I knew going in I was not in top form, I knew going in I was going to be sore on Sunday. I ran anyway.

While I was trying to get thru that race (and I use the word race loosely) I started to think about what the post race re-cap would look like. Enjoy, this is probably the only time you're going to see one of these. 

Salem Road Race - 5K - Salem, CT - April 13

A small group of us gathered at the back of the pack on the starting line .. that is our system .. its deflating to start near the front and have 100+ people pass you in the course of a minute or so into the race.  There seems to be some delay to the start because of a problem with the timing equipment. We can't really hear what the guy is saying over the bullhorn, but seriously, I'm here to accomplish 3 goals - finish, not be last, and not puke.  Usually these are achievable but remember I haven't run in a month. We seem to be ready to start .. "Runners Set ..." and the gun fires

The crowd starts to move, I hit the start button on my runkeeper app on my phone and start to jog at a slow pace.  I am literally less than 2 minutes in and my shins are burning .. damn, I really need to upgrade these sneakers. My starting line posse continues on ahead and I keep plodding along. I hit mile one and my app tells me my pace .. its way too fast for me to sustain that for the remaining 2.1 miles.

I'm trying to focus on my stride, breathing, and ignore the hills .. but seriously .. there were SO many hills.  I hit the first water stop but the cute little elderly men from the Lions Club manning it have none ready .. its not that hot, I'm not that dehydrated .. keep on running.  

I make the right, then the left .. DAMN more uphill...left around the corner and loop back.  The water stop on this side is more prepared so I grab a cup. Now we're running downhill and my calves burn and scream a little more.  More time and pace updates ...

I finally finished .. 40:22 .. which is good for me.  I was not last and I did not puke. Goals met .. but I was certainly not thrilled with the performance. 

I spent a good part of my afternoon silently beating myself up for not finishing with a better time.  Then I thought back to April 2013 ... I had hit a plateau in my weight loss and a handful of friends were all doing Couch to 5K .. I wondered if I could run again - after 12 years off, in my 40s, it would take work and I wasn't sure I wanted to work that hard.  Then April 15, 2013 ... bombs go off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon just an hour away from me, on a street where I have walked so many times. Three people are dead, a few days later a 4th and hundreds are injured. Several have lost limbs or have injuries so severe they may never walk again.  So that night I decided I was going to be a runner again if for no other reason than because I could. 

On April 13, 2014 I ran and finished a 5K. The year before that would not have been possible. That, in itself, is a PR.