My High School friend told me she registered for Race for the Cure in Kansas City. It was her first race ever, so I really wanted to go to support her, but I also knew there was a 10K being held by our local running store,
Manhattan Running Company, the same weekend.
Hmmm....could I do both? I probably shouldn't .... afterall I am suppose to be following a training plan, and I am suppose to be easing back into running .... but .... I would run a long run on Saturday anyhow. If I treat both races as training runs (in other words, don't push it) I could fit them both into the weekend schedule.
Ok, let's do it. Slow and easy, just like a regular training run. Yeah.
Saturday morning
Brew 2 Shoe 10K pre-race pics with the girlies.
This was the 2nd annual, organized by Manhattan Running Company. About 300 runners (even a few dogs!). Great weather (considering Kansas has been STEAMY hot). I knew lots of people running this race, so that was super fun.
A friend from High School who is just starting to run came to run his very first 10K! He brought his friend who was running his very first race ever! They are both training for a fall 1/2 marathon. So exciting! Here we are after the race ....
But here's how we got there. I started way too fast (negative splits? yeah, I don't know how to do those). Saw my friends Penny & Gina at mile 4 water stop (thanks girls for coming out!) I'm pretty sure if this had been a 5K race I would have hit a PR no problem .... which means by the killer hill at mile 4.5, I was toast! I had a friend running with me until the hill, she kept going, I walked it. At the peak of the hill the rest of the race is downhill, about 1 mile. At the top of the hill was my friend Kathy waiting to cheer me on. (NICE!) That gave me a little boost to kick it in at the end. It was tough though, I was done. Totally out of gas. I didn't wear my ipod because I had thought I would have people around to chat with. All downhill yes, but nothing to distract me from feeling like I was about to die!
Um, training run? Not anymore! Our long training runs are nice, slow, easy runs - about 11 min miles. This race, mile 1 was a 9:30 pace, mile 2 10:00, etc. ooops. Race day gets me again! End time was 1:06. No PR for me, but I said I would be happy with 1:10. So I'm happy! :) Really happy to be running races again! SO FUN.
Got home, showered and ran out the door to head to Kansas City to shop with my girlfriends, and get up bright and early Sunday to run Race for the Cure 5K with my friend Jen (her very first race!)
Jen was a cross country runner in High School, but is picking up running again 20 years later. She told me she would be happy to run the whole thing without walking, but wasn't sure if that was possible. This was a major part of my decision to run 2 races in the same weekend - I thought we'd run a few miles and walk a bit, then maybe run to the finish. Here we are before the race.
Um, let's just say her being 'unsure' if she could run the whole thing .... she sandbagged me! We started out uphill .... turned the corner to go uphill again .... turned the corner to go uphill again .... OMG really?! and again .... The first 2 miles were completely uphill.
This race was really hard! Probably for several reasons:
1. 5 am wake up on Saturday, ran the 10K, jetted out to KC, shopped, drank wine, ate too much, not great sleep.
2. 5 am wake up on Sunday, after all of that in #1
3. The first 2 miles of any run is the hardest for me. Add uphill to those first 2 miles? Whew.
Ok enough whining, no excuses. I kept telling Jen that we could walk if she needed to (HA HA), but she was having none of that! That girl has race blood in her, no doubt! Cool rock bands along the course, pink everywhere (awesome), and let's not forget the real reason for the race. So inspirational to see all those people coming together for one cause.
Fast forward to the finish, I was so proud to see Jen sprinting to the finish! Her first 5K, 33 minutes with zero walking. I LOVE THAT!! I predict many future races for us :)
On the plus side, we had a good run today. We all forgot to take GU (well, not me, sorry GU makers, I just can't eat that stuff). P & G forgot to take their GU, I forgot my shot blocks .... so I was crashing a bit, but by the time we realized it, we were almost done. The best part was the deeeelish mocha latte afterward and having time to sit with the girls for coffee :) Kathy joined us today for coffee and if peer pressure works on her she will soon be joining us for running :)
