I don’t know what it is about this race, but it is just the most fun ever. I guess after a winter of training it’s the coming out party. It’s also the anniversary of my first race, this one, last year. I will post last years story at the end of this post.
I was up until 3am doing some work in my office, woke up with a headache, didn’t eat or drink anything thing this morning, then went out had ran a great race! I didn’t get a PB like I wanted, I was about a minute short, but I can attribute that to stopping and taking pictures on the course. I will have to factor in the picture stops into my pace schedule.
Traci and my Mom are in this race too. they are doing the 5k, along with my friend Mary Jo. I’ll tell Mary Jo’s story first. She ran a great race, being her first race ever, having just taken up running 5 short weeks ago. She was having a nice run, keeping out of the way of faster runners, then the unthinkable, she trips a little, has to catch her self against a chain link fence and splits her finger open. She does what all self respecting runner would do, rips the dangling bits of skin off, chucks them to the ground and finishes the race! Nice work! Now the next race, that has no bloods and gore, will feel like a cakewalk! Congrats on an amazing run Mary Jo, you are working incredibly hard and deserve your success!
Mom’s run was pretty uneventful, and she had a great run, Congrats to you too, it’s amazing to see your improvement!
My DW Traci started the race next to me, but when I started to give her a bit of advice right at the beginning, she gave me the ol’ stink-eye and yelled at me a little, so I buggered off on my own. I stopped a ways up, jumped up on a bench and waited for her so I could get a nice in-race picture of her. She was happy about that, so I am back in the good books. She finished strong and enjoyed her race!
I did the 10k. I had NO idea how I was going to do today. Like I said earlier I didn’t prepare a lick and decided that I was ok with whatever transpired today. What I didn't know was how good I was going to do. I think all the planning and pre-race goal setting is bunk. From now on I just show up and run. It was a pretty uneventful run, I maintained a pretty quick pace (for me) the entire run. I used to have to walk a lot in the final stages of races, but I have got my mind in shape enough over the last year, I am able to run steady for the whole race now. I do walk at the water stations so I don’t spill water on me, but that is it. The other cool part that is different this year is that I can finish a race spent of all effort, but my recovery is almost immediate. This was the first race that I have no noticeable tweaks or twinges to my body, and I feel really good as of 5 minutes after the race. *woot*
One of our club runners had a world record today! Caroline ran the 6.34k race today in a new world best time of 42:06. I didn’t even know there was this distance available, however she ran it, so it must have been in the race. Actually, Caroline had a tendency to have her mind wander a little when she runs. She states “I really zone out”. So much so that she missed the marshalls instructions and made a wrong turn at the 5k turnaround and ended up coming back toward the start line. When she realized that she was wrong, she turned around for a while, then decided to say screw it and come back to the finish. My first comment was “did you cross the timing mat?” yep, she says (In my head I think that ought to be worth a prize or two in the 10k race, LOL) however she told them right away, and they moved her results into the 5k. We had a good laugh anyway. She is planning on running a hard 10k in about 3 weeks. Good Luck!
Happy Dan came through next, Congrats Dan! He beat his 10k personal best by 4 seconds! Nice! (sandbagger). He is generally a happy guy, I must have ticked him off or something… ;0)
Erin wasn’t far behind. She had a couple falls this winter and was nursing some injuries, but now she is fully healthy and training hard with us for the Calgary Half in May.
Kim came cruising through in fine style. (we actually missed her and she snuck up on us, so I made her re-run the finish for the photo. What a ham)
Maria was next, this was her first race, and it was amazing for her. Terrific! She is my new facebook friend, I now have like 6!
Then there was the best running instructor ever, Susan. This was the goal race for her most recent clinic. All her runners came across strong and so did she! Susan’s story is great, she has battled weight and major injuries in the recent past and here she is in really great shape, still motivating and inspiring runners like me! Thanks Susan!
The best part of this race is the post race meal. BBq’d double cheeseburgers, Starbucks coffee and a big cake. Yum, yum, yum. We waited around for the draw prizes, and after 11 races I am still Suka la Eauf. no prizes for the big man… again. We enjoyed the company of our group and then made our way home. I was craving cake, and Traci sort of paints a nice picture of the one at the race.
Me: “I’m going to get a piece of cake”
Traci: “not me, that thing has been sitting there for 2 hours with little kids running around sneezing on it”
Me: “nevermind”
Traci did offer that we could pick one up at Safeway, so I was stoked. I went in to the store and looked around. Typically they don’t have Chocolate cakes with white icing. Why? I have no idea, but you have to special order the most popular type of cake for some reason. Today was my lucky day though. Not only was there a Chocolate Cake with white icing, but is was a Calgary Flames Cake! AND it was on sale for 9 bucks!!! *Woot* my losing streak is over. I am a winner today!!! *woot WOOt*!!!!
Andrew was pretty happy as well.
Here are the rest of the pics from the event.
I couldn’t remember her name at the hypo half, so here is ‘Kim’
Dan, Smiling
Cassie, Mom and Janet
The Calgary Herald Photographer that took Andrews picture!
Traci and I basking in the glow of a race well Run!
A pretty bad ass group of runners
Especially this bad ass Sophie!
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