Saturday, November 6, 2010

It wasn't pretty, but I did it and got a medal for it



What a journey this has been, I started out in January wanting to improve my health and compete in a 5K. My friend Pam said why not run in the 5K run her school is sponsoring I thought about it and said ok I can do this. What the heck was I thinking so I began training(?) the goal was to get it done in 30 minutes. As the the run grew closer and I started running outside and the cold weather moved in I decided that if I could just finish the run that would be good. My son and sister and nephews were all coming in to watch me run. Well the day before the run I have to run a few errands and went outside and OMG it was cold, so I decide to go get some fancy cold weather gear. I was able to get running tights and top so when my track star son comes in Friday night I am telling him about all training and oh yeah the new cool running tights and shirt. He looks and said do you know that the theft tag is still on the pants and shirt and if you try and take it off dye will ruin the clothes? MAN! Is this a sign of what the run will be like? MAYBE I don't get very nervous, but I was very nervous about this run. Had I trained enough?NO Would I be able to come in at around 33-34 minutes?PROBABLY NOT Or completely embarrass myself? OH MAN I HOPE NOT Well it's Saturday morning and it is cold as ** so I wore ledotard tights under my regular running pants and 3 shirts, 2 pairs of gloves and an ear band. It was below freezing (30 degrees) and really dark, we arrive for the race and to my surprise there are other crazy people out there ready to run --lots of them. Now I am really nervous, I start to run a short warm up lap around this area and my son said you need to do that at least 4 times, drink more water and ......(WHAT?) oh ok, just as I hit the 3rd lap and I think I am not going to make it I am already breathing hard and it is SO COLD. He doesn't know there isn't a lot of gas in my tank and he wants me to waste all of it out here in the parking lot. My sister and the her boys arrive they have signs for me to cheer me on, MAN that is so nice what will they think of me if I don't make it???? Show no fear! Poker Face!

Runners get set go, and off I go did I tell you how cold it was out there. We start off it is dark, we are running in a large pack, up in a distance you can already see the folks that are going to win the run today, immediately I think please do not come in last. My legs are stiff and cold I am breathing heavy and wondering when I will hit the 1.5M marker they promised water. But my legs and breathing are telling me you have got to be further along than that because if not you won't make it. I finally get to the "1.5M" water table, I think of Lisa and our talk of "elite athletes" which of course I am not, I take the water from the volunteers and swoosh it around in my mouth and spit it out and throw the cup down (in the waste can) just like the "elite athletes" some how that made me smile and feel stronger. I continue to run not very fast finally another volunteer shouts out my time 20min and __sec. For a brief moment I thought well maybe you are on track Pattey but then naa....nothing about this run reminds me of the training I have been doing. As I am coming up a hill I look behind me to check and see if there are any other folks running behind me ....other than small children and puppies. Thank goodness there are....translated mean Pattey you won't be last adult. As I come around corner I see my son and sister, I think oh I have done so poorly they are checking up on me....there only small children and puppies behind me! how sad are you? They are cheering I try hard to pick up my pace, my son joins me and said Mom you doing great, I tell him between tears that I hoped this would be a much better run for him to see and he said your doing great. Just then we turn the last corner I look up and the clock, OMG it said 30:30 is it possible am I going to come in before 31, if I tell you that last 100 yards was ugly.....I gave whatever I had left in me to finish that race. I made it 30:53 my sister gives me the biggest huge ever and tells me she is so proud of me, my son has that look in his eyes and I am exhausted but I feel so high and if this makes any sense I am proud that my family was proud of me. Marcellus said I am a distance runner .....I wouldn't go that far but I can run a 5k. Oh yeah, they gave me a medal for it 2nd place in my age bracket. (ooooh shinny)

1 comment:

  1. This is so AWESOME! you know u finishes w/ a pave of 10 min. Did you know that you are AWESOME! Congratulations on a goal achieved.

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